••• “Brookfield did not release any information Thursday about the details of their new plan to maintain the [World Financial Center staircase]. A spokeswoman did not immediately respond to questions about whether the entire staircase would be maintained and how it would be incorporated.” (DNAinfo)

••• Racked on the pop-up shop extravaganza that ad agency Wieden + Kennedy is throwing at Varick and Vandam.

••• “Blossom Gelernter, the pioneering first principal of Tribeca’s P.S. 234, died Thursday morning at age 79. Gelernter led the school from its beginning in 1976 in Independence Plaza (now the site of P.S. 150), until 1989, when her vice principal, Anna Switzer, took over. She retired from the Department of Education that year but continued her work in education, including mentoring principals at the Bank Street College of Education.” (Tribeca Trib)

••• Curbed noticed a Tribeca reno on the website for nemaworkshop. The before photos appear to have a “water feature” with a bridge. That’s an “after” at right.

••• Floyd Cardoz, the former Tabla chef who’ll be in charge at Danny Meyer’s North End Grill (and who just won “Top Chef Masters”), tells Grub Street that the onion rings from Tabla will probably be on the menu: “We’re going to be grilling stuff, so there might be stuff that I’ll do. Add some spice. Not in an Indian way, but in a flavorful way.” They haven’t broken ground yet, though. Over on Eater, Meyer says November.

••• “Condé Nast’s recent decision to lease 1 million square feet at 1 World Trade Center was hailed as a game changer for the neighborhood, something that would spark other top-tier companies to move downtown. That may be harder to do, however, than many people realize. The truth is that the vacancy rate for Class A space in the immediate area—officially the World Trade Center submarket—is a rock-bottom 4%, according to brokerage Cassidy Turley. That is second only to the 0% vacancy rate in the SoHo/NoHo/Greenwich Village submarket, a success that owes much to the fact that there is actually only one Class A building in that submarket: a 122,000-square-foot building at 610 Broadway.” (Crain’s)

••• “Zagat reports that Zak Pelaccio’s Fatty Snack kiosks are now open in Battery Bosque. They’re serving mostly desserts, including homemade soft serve, waffle sundaes, and shave ice. Open daily from 9:30 a.m.–7 p.m.” Weren’t they open already? Can’t. Keep. Up. And to be honest, a little kiosked out. (Eater)