Eric Yarbro, senior vice president of CBRE's Midtown Manhattan office, negotiated all three transactions on behalf of the tenants. "Minority-owned businesses, specifically within the financial services arena, have grown and expanded their presence in New York City by leaps and bounds over the past few months," Yarbro explains. "These new leases are indicative of not only this growing trend, but also of a national economy headed toward recovery."

In the first deal, Advent Capital Management LLC doubled its space at 1605 Avenue of Americas. The investment advisory services firm previously occupied 7,334 sf for its corporate headquarters but will now expand to 14,600 sf with the addition of another floor within the building. The terms of the deal were not available.

In the second deal, MR Beal & Co., an investment banking firm and Black Enterprises' 2001 Company of the Year, signed a long-term lease for 15,000 sf at 110 Wall St. The exact price tag of the deal was not available, but rent in the 27-floor building hovers around $27 per sf. The firm moved from 67 Wall St. where it occupied 7,000 sf. Rents at that 25-floor building are in the $30-per-sf range.