••• “The Metropolitan Transportation Authority plans to lease all the retail space at the Fulton Street Transit Center to one company and let that company manage it [….] The move would put one firm in charge of filling 70,000 square feet of retail space in the three-story building. The MTA envisions big retailers taking space, along with a ‘grand bar’ overlooking the Manhattan skyline and what it calls ‘destination’ restaurants, similar to the Campbell Apartment in Grand Central.” It could happen! Estimated completion: 2014. P.S. Let’s come up with a new name for the Fulton Street Transit Center. —Wall Street Journal

••• “Even Hugh Jackman is not immune to the fickleness of fame. On Sunday, the Real Steel star opened his new coffee shop—Laughing Man, on Duane St. in Tribeca—with his wife and children. At first things went well. Jackman flashed his movie-star smile as he greeted guests, and photographers eagerly clicked—until word got out that Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry was across the street at the Duane [sic] Hotel. Then they abandoned the actor en masse to go shoot the pol. That’s got to hurt.” Across the street? It’s as if the New York Daily News has never been here. P.S. I heard Kerry popped into Torly Kid.

••• “Come November, all the stores and restaurants in the hallway that connects the Liberty Street entrance of Two World Financial Center to the Winter Garden will close. The same fate awaits all the establishments in the second-floor corridor above. Brookfield Properties is set to begin its $250-million renovation of the World Financial Center, beginning with the construction of a new second-floor dining terrace facing the Esplanade, along with a food marketplace where the first-floor corridor is now. The work is scheduled to finish in spring, 2013. Between now and the project’s completion, Brookfield anticipate occasional closures of the first-floor hallway, as well as the elevators/escalators that provide access to the second floor.” —Broadsheet Daily

••• Chef Ed Cotton is leaving Plein Sud; no replacement has been named. —Eater

••• T Magazine on Ted Muehling’s new store at 52 White: “It’s the kind of neighborhood place, Muehling points out, where you can walk in and they’ll make a new wire for your earring if you don’t mind waiting 20 minutes.” Also: I had no idea Muehling’s partner is Mats Gustafson. I’ve loved his art since I started working in magazines. I really should stop by, but I threw a minor hissyfit when Muehling opened a temp space on Walker, and I haven’t had the cojones to go back.

••• Taïm is opening on Mulberry, next to sister restaurant Balaboosta, which is at least closer) than the one on Waverly. I’ll say it again: Open here! —Eater

••• “Governors Island will close for construction on Fridays for the next two seasons [which means years, right?], but will remain open on Saturdays, Sundays and holiday Mondays.” —DNAinfo