June 8, 2005


Securities and Exchange Commission
450 Fifth Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C.  20549
Attention:  Jeffrey B. Werbitt, Esq.

         Re:      Spartan Stores, Inc.
                  Preliminary Schedule 14A filed on May 31, 2005 by Loeb
                  Partners Corporation
                  -----------------------------------------------------
                  File No. 000-31127

Ladies and Gentlemen:

This letter responds to the comments of the staff of the Securities and Exchange
Commission  (the  "Staff")  contained  in their  letter  dated June 6, 2005 (the
"Letter") relating to our above-captioned  filing. Any references in this letter
to the "Proxy  Statement"  refer to our Preliminary  Proxy Statement on Schedule
14A, File Number 000-31127.

         The numbers of our responses  correspond to the numbers of the comments
in the Staff's  Letter.  The page numbers  referenced  below refer to the marked
copy of the Proxy Statement.

General
-------

         Comment

1.       We note your  revisions made in response in our prior comment 1. Please
         expand where appropriate to clarify that if you determine not to modify
         your materials and card that shareholders will be unable to vote on any
         matters proposed by the company other than the election of directors.

         Response

         We have amended the Proxy Statement to address the Staff's comment. See
page 1 of the Proxy Statement.




Securities and Exchange Commission
June 7, 2005
Page 2

         Should  you  have  any  questions  or  comments  with  respect  to  the
foregoing, please do not hesitate to contact our outside counsel, Patrick Dooley
of Akin Gump  Strauss  Hauer & Feld LLP, at (212)  872-1080  or, in his absence,
David Bersh at (212) 872-8056.

                                   Sincerely,


                                          /s/ Thomas L. Kempner
                                          ---------------------
                                          Thomas L. Kempner