The Plaza's Oak Room: Going Food Court? Spa?

More details are leaking out of The Plaza, where the developers taking the hotel condo are moving ahead with plans to torch the Oak Room to make way for valuable retail space. Reports the NYPost,

A source close to the historic hotel's operators say The Plaza has approached specialty food shops about moving into the space previously occupied by the Oak Room restaurant. The owners also want a designer shop for the ground floor.

"It's too small for a big department store and it's a landmarked building, so big windows can't be created on the façade," the source said. "It must be a destination store . . . we may even see a spa or entertainment."

Anyone else see a third way here to bring the interests of the developer and preservationists into line? Coming May 2007... The Oak Room Spahhhh.
· Plaza's Going Retail [NYPost]
· Whither the Plaza's Oak Room and Ballroom? [Curbed]