One Chase Manhattan Sold to Fosun of China for $725M

Fosun International Limited, China's largest private conglomerate by revenue, has agreed to purchase One Chase Manhattan Plaza from JP Morgan Chase for $725 million, putting down a 10%, nonrefundable deposit on the deal this week. Fosun, the investment arm of China's biggest closely held industrial group, intends to keep the tower as an office building, said Darcy Stacom, vice chairman at CBRE Group Inc., who led the brokerage team that conducted the sale for JPMorgan. Potential buyers had been offered residential conversion as an option, to capitalize on rising Manhattan condominium prices.

"The wave continues with this purchase," said Dan Fasulo, managing director of property-research firm Real Capital Analytics Inc. "We've seen a series of trophy transactions in key cities around the United States done by the Chinese, in New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, as well as smaller acquisitions in other markets around the country."

Owned by Guo Guangchang, Fosun beat out over half a dozen bidders for the 60-story office tower, which is roughly half occupied by JPMorgan staff that will mostly relocate to other New York locations. Chase moved its headquarters from One Chase Manhattan Plaza to an address near Grand Central Terminal in 1996. Situated in the core area of the north section of downtown Manhattan, the financial district of New York City, the plaza of the building connects with 7 subway lines providing great access to public transportation. A spokeswoman for Fosun said that property will only grow in value, citing its prime location and the renovation of the nearby Fulton Street transportation hub, according to CNN Money.

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$380M Refinancing for Chelsea Market in NYC

CB Richard Ellis' Capital Markets Group secured a $380 million in conjunction with the recapitalization of Chelsea Market at 75 Ninth Avenue in Manhattan on behalf of Jamestown Properties according to a Citybizlist article. The loan, financed through Germany's Landesbank Baden-Wurttemberg, was used by Jamestown to buy out its partners in the property, Angelo, Gordon & Co., Belvedere Capital and original Chelsea Market developer Irwin Cohen.

"Lending on Manhattan assets is seen as less risky than other markets and that's been evident through the downturn," Dan Fasulo, managing director with global commercial real estate research and consulting firm Real Capital Analytics, told Commercial Property Executive. "Of the troubled assets we had in the country, Manhattan had the highest recovery rate for lenders when there was a default. It's proven to be rather resilient versus other markets."

The mixed-use property was originally a 22-building complex that served as the National Biscuit Company (now known as Nabisco) factory complex, filling two entire blocks. Chelsea Market was 99% occupied at the time of closing with major tenants including Google, Scripps Networks, Major League Baseball, EMI and Anthropologie.

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Chevron Picks Up Four Allen Center for $340M

Four Allen Center, the former headquarters for Enron in Houston, was purchased by Chevron Corp. for $340 million this week as Brookfield Office Properties unloaded the property from its portfolio. According to the Wall Street Journal, Brookfield bought the property, which sat vacant for three years before Chevron leased the building. for $120 million in 2006 from Towanda Development I Ltd. The building at 1400 Smith Street stands 50 stories tall with 1.3 million square feet of space.

"We have created significant value through the sale of this stabilized asset concurrent with Chevron's sizeable lease extension at our adjacent property," said Dennis Friedrich, president and global chief investment officer of Brookfield. "Chevron represents the type of top-flight corporate tenant we seek to partner with in our global energy-sector markets."

The sale price is a "coup" for Brookfield, said Dan Fasulo, managing director at Real Capital Analytics Inc. in a Bloomberg article. "It's a win-win for both parties," Fasulo said. "For Chevron, obviously they're a cash-rich corporation. They have the money to buy their own property."

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Google Purchasing Manhattan Office Building for Over $1.8B

In a deal that's reportedly valued at over $1.8 billion, Google now owns an entire New York City block with the latest acquisition of 111 Eighth Avenue. The deal for the 2.9 million square foot property is the biggest transaction for a single building in the U.S. this year according to a Wall Street Journal article. Google currently occupies roughly 500,000 square feet of space in the building, and won the bid for the purchase of the property due in part to its willingness to close the deal by the end of the year. The building, which once housed the headquarters of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, was being marketed by Douglas Harmon, a senior managing director at Eastdil Secured. The building last changed hands in 1998.

"You can't get a stronger vote of confidence for the strength of the New York office market," Dan Fasulo, managing director of Real Capital Analytics, told Bloomberg. "When one of the most prestigious modern corporations makes a bet on your marketplace, it's not just a bet on your real estate, but in New York as a place to retain and attract the best talent."

"They can afford to pay more for this building because they're already the occupant," said Ben Thypin, Real Capital senior market analyst. "A third party that wasn't already a tenant might not have been able, actually definitely wasn't able, to bid as high as they were."

For more news and information visit Blumberg Capital Partners.