Daily News from New York, New York • 832

a 0 iA is i fc i A he Ticker DOW JONES 120.58 10,998:39 NASDAQ 17.55 3,353.71 Odd PcwCM jjyTf 1 ir f' -i "1 'I iv.Al. liMlml i I The financially ailing Boston Market restaurants Fast-food giant McDonald's said yesterday it agreed to acquire most of the assets of struggling restaurant chain Boston Market, including 751 restaurants and franchise rights for 108 more, for $173.5 million. A year ago, before the company declared bankruptcy, the New York City area was home to more than 120 Boston Chicken outlets. For McDonald's, the world's largest restaurant chain, the move is a part of its domestic growth plan. A spokesman said some of the restaurants would continue as Boston Market sites, but others would be converted to McDonald's, Chipotle Mexican Grill or Donatos Pizza restaurants.

McDonald's acquired Donatos and a minority stake in Chipotle, also as part of its domestic strategy. "I think that the point is, with this one acquisition, we are getting a lot of real estate that will help jump-start Donatos Pizza and Chipotle," said Jack Green-berg, chairman and chief executive of McDonald's. "So we have good sites for McDonald's, and we also have a viable business will now Join the growing McDonald's family. (Boston Market) that we can see on that day of $50. But quick ex- how we'll develop and grow." pansion into new markets took its toll on the company, which eventually was forced to file for protection from creditors.

Boston Chicken was a darling of Wall Street after its '93 IPO, which its stock soared from the pricing of $20 a share to a high New future for Biltmore Calling on cell phones for instant messaging AOL said it has acquired Tegic Communications, a leading developer of cell phone messaging technology, for an undisclosed sum. AOL said the acquisition is part of its effort to expand wireless communications options for its nearly 20 million subscribers and the 50 million customers who use its ICQ instant messaging program. Unlike wireless pagers that feature miniature typewriter keypads, Tegic's software allows people to type messages using the numbered telephone pad. Other software programs already use cell phones to type text, but AOL said Tegic's is the easiest to use. Tegic's software operates in 14 languages including Chinese, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Portuguese and Swedish.

Versions that understand Eastern European and Middle Eastern languages are in the works. Political void Rolling Stone's national affairs editor William Greider, the prominent political journalist and author, is leaving the magazine, which he joined in 1982. There are no plans to replace him, leaving the magazine without a political editor for the first time since 1984. He will now cover national affairs and the global economy for The Nation magazine from Washington. Nation editor Katnna Vanden Heuvel said Greider will help the weekly "strengthen its coverage of social and political issues." Contributing editor Molly Ivins will start "Shrub Watch," a regular feature on George W.

Bush as part of the magazine's Election 2000 coverage this month as well, Vanden Heuvel said. Opting in on Email.com Doubleclick, which operates an online advertising network, said i signed a deal to buy privately neld Internet E-mail marketing firm Opt-In Email. com for an undisclosed amount of stock. Opt-ln's services, which provide E-mail communication programs to more than 25 business clients, will be incorporated into Doubleclick's recently announced Ee-mail strategy targeted at advertisers and publishers. Doubleclick said.

Opt-ln's clients include MGM, Mail.com, ShopNow.com and Microsoft. Managing the music jammin' 105 has a new general manager. AMFM Radio appointed Rona Landy to the top post at WTJM-FM yesterday. Landy replaces Kathy Stinehour. who now heads AMFM's Chicago station group.

Landy will continue to serve as general manager of Jammin' 105's sister station. WLTW-FM (106.7). state judge has pulled the plug on developer Joseph Moinian's III hopes of building a 43-story hotel adjoining the landmark I Biltmore Theater. UU Judge Herman Cahn ruled that the Nederlander organization acted properly when it backed out of its 1997 contract to sell the allowed to play a role in the development of one of the properties, sources said. Stern and Goldman Sachs officials declined comment.

NO VACANCIES Because of the booming real estate market, the federal government has had difficulty finding field offices for workers assisting in the 2000 census. LOCATION LOCATION LOCATION The Census Bureau wanted temporary homes in all of New York City's 14 congressional districts. But it couldn't find appropriate space or landlords willing to do one-year deals in the districts of Reps. Gary Ackerman, Anthony Weiner and Nlta REP. ANTHONY WEINER businesses created by deregulation of the telecom business.

Other buildings catering to this need include 111 Eighth 60 Hudson St. and 325 Hudson St. Woo and Highgate also had planned to redevelop 85 Tenth Ave. But they sold that 10-story building to Denver-based Level 3 Communications shortly after signing a contract to buy it earlier this year, making a large profit on the "flip." GOLDMAN LOOKS WESTWARD Developer Leonard Stem and Goldman Sachs are on the verge of a deal that will allow the investment banking behemoth to buy three Jersey City Lowey, who represents areas that include Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx. Census officials said the quality of the count will not be affected.

"The accuracy will mostly depend on how well we do in empty theater and five neighboring properties to Moinian for $14.4 million. The ruling helps clear the way for Nederlander to put the properties back on the market and make a lot more money. With Manhattan sites in high demand, Nederlander will likely get much more than Moninian agreed to pay two years ago; industry experts predicted the properties will fetch at least $30 million. Earle Altaian, Nederlander's broker, predicted a new contract will be signed with a hotel or apartment building developer in the next few weeks. Any deal will include the restoration of the 999-seat theater, which has hosted such productions as "Hair" and "Barefoot in the Park." In his ruling, Cahn stated that Moinian forfeited his right to buy the property as well his $1 million down payment when he failed to close the deal by April 22, as required by the contract.

"It was a colossal blunder," said Richard Seltzer, a Nederlander attorney. Moinian said yesterday that he will appeal, adding: "We will fight to protect our rights." LURING TELECOMS Highgate Holdings, the Dallas-based investment firm run by financier Mahmood Khimji, is buying the industrial property at 636 Eleventh Ave. in Manhattan, between West 46th and 47th streets, with plans to convert it into another building designed for telecom companies. Highgate has taken over the contract to buy the building for more than $40 million that was originally signed by Young Woo, a New York developer, sources said. Woo, who has worked with Highgate on similar projects, will continue to be involved in the project in some capacity, insiders said.

The deal is the latest example of developers redeveloping outmoded properties to meet the growing demand for high-tech space by the myriad of new getting people to send back that form," said Tony Farthing, the regional director of the census. But not all the 5 i Never mind affected politicians buy this. "It's an unfortunate oversight to say the least," Weiner said. 'h I development sites for expansion space. Goldman, which has been pursuing an aggressive growth strategy under CEO Henry Paulson, has for months been interested in the sites, which are on a 20-acre waterfront parcel owned by Colgate-Palmolive.

But before the firm could buy the sites, it had to cut a deal with Stern, who had purchased options from Colgate-Palmolive to develop them before Goldman came into the picture. a CD CD cn CM 5 After creating a stir by telling its retailers that promotion of E-commerce wouldn't be allowed this holiday season, the Saint Louis Gallena mall has decided to lift the ban. The upscale mall recently sent the store owners a second letter, essentially saying to disregard the first. One toy store threatened to sue and many of the mall's 170 retail tenants expressed their displeasure earlier this month after learning about the ban. It applied to store signs, decals.

advertising or displays promoting the purchase of merchandise over the Internet. 4 Sources said Stern tentatively agreed to give up his rights for an undisclosed sum. He also is being.