Why would a community board and newspaper protect a developer?

From the Times Newsweekly:

Board 4 District Manager Richard Italiano introduced one of the bidding parties at the session, who was given the floor.

The prospective developer, whose identity is being withheld at the request of the board, described himself as a community member who tried keeping St. John's open until the 11th-hour.

Whoa, excuse me! Why is a community board requesting that the developer's name be withheld? And why is a newspaper, reporting about a PUBLIC meeting, honoring this ridiculous request?

Interesting also that the Times Ledger, Queens Tribune (sorry, no link) and Forum West had no qualms about reporting the developer's name. The following week, the Queens Chronicle also mentioned the developer's name in writing about the issue.*

[*The Queens Chronicle didn't actually send a reporter to the meeting that discussed the future of the closed hospital but did highlight a condo opening in Astoria that week.]