Mayor Bloomberg came down hard yesterday on members of the City Council who negotiated a side deal during the rezoning for a major Midtown project that requires the developer to set aside 15 percent of spending for minority- and women-owned firms.

“I’ve never thought these community-benefits agreements are anything other than a shakedown,” said the mayor.

As The Post first reported on Sunday, Vornado Realty Trust committed to the 15 percent target at a time it was trying to convince the council to re-zone the site of the Hotel Pennsylvania so it could erect a 1,200-foot tower.

“This is a private group trying to hold up a landlord and they shouldn’t be allowed to do it,” added the mayor.

Told it was elected officials who made the deal, Bloomberg responded: “That may be. But they’re not doing it as City Council members. They’re doing it as private individuals.”