A recent Wall Street Journal article makes aninteresting point: There aren't too many executives out there whoare qualified to undertake the leadership of General Growth Propertiesonce it emerges from bankruptcy.

It makes the point that families have help the top positions atmany of the largest mall REITs, such as Simon Property Group andTaubman Centers, and few of them would want their names associatedwith a long-time competitor. Rick Sokolov, chief of operations atSimon, who is not a family member, told the paper he is "notinterested."

Here are some of the names that are supposedly in the running:First Industrial Realty Trust CEO Bruce Duncan,who used to run Canada-based Cadillac Fairview; DavidContis, president of Equity Investments and a formerMacerich Co. execuitve; Tony Deering, formerlychief executive officer of The Rouse Co.; former Centro PropertiesGroup CEO Glenn Rufrano who is now the chiefexecutive at Cushman & Wakefield; former Macerich operationschief Tony Grossi; and SandeepMathrani, head of Vornado Realty Trust's retailoperations.