(Ian Ritter is national online editor for GlobeSt.com/RETAIL.)

NEW YORK CITY-Vornado Realty Trust officials confirmed that they are interested in a possible deal with troubled retail-REIT the Mills Corp. during the Citigroup 2006 REIT CEO conference in Palm Beach, FL. "There are some people that seem to be looking at it, and we are in dialogue with the Mills," said Steven Roth, the Paramus, NJ-based Vornado's chairman and chief executive officer.

Before any deal would be made certain things need to be worked out, Roth said, like Mills financial filings, which are being restated from 2000 through last year's first three quarters. Added Michael Fascitelli, Vornado's president and trustee, "If the right value is there, it's interesting."

A deal for Mills, which Fascitelli estimated to be worth about $9 billion, would not be unusual for Vornado. The company was part of a team of investors last year that acquired the Toys "R" Us chain for $6.6 billion. Last year Vornado also purchased a $500-million stock-stake in McDonald's and invested $337 million in Sears, Roebuck & Co. in 2004. Vornado, Indianapolis-based Simon Property Group, General Growth Properties of Chicago and other companies have all been rumored as possible Mills buyers.