One thing not quite obvious about all the land and the buildings - this may be viewed as something of a liability as well as an asset.
Even if they can maintain a tax-free status on it, these buildings are expensive to light, heat, and maintain. Tax or not, city codes must be met. More and more expensive, in fact, as energy costs go through the roof.
Just selling them is a public event, and as we have seen here - it can bring negaive public images in the press.
Now, there is a bind from several directions - the business investments must be really off in this economy. The brothers just may not be able to squeeze out any more blood due to cost of living, gas, etc...
And, in bad economic times where the real estate market has gone to pot - and loans are just about impossible to get - those buildings may not be so easy to sell as income production in the first place.