Silverstein Bids on Macklowe's Credit Lyonnais Building

Fifteen minutes ago was the deadline for developers to bid on one of Manhattan's prime trophy properties -- 1301 Avenue of the Americas, also known as the Credit Lyonnais Building, at the corner of 52nd Street.

The cloud-buster is one of the seven so-called "Equity Portfolio" properties that beleaguered mogul Harry Macklowe bought last year for $7 billion (in those bubbly days, he only had to put down $50 million of his own money). Now those same properties are on the auction block, in a market where there are relatively few big-time buyers with the requisite financing and bullishness to even consider such a purchase.

Larry Silverstein is one developer who did bid on the property, according to a well-placed source. Rumor on the street is that Vornado bid on it, too. A Vornado spokeswoman declined to comment.