Built in 1973, the 21-story office tower is currently more than 90% leased. Tenants include Reuters, Interactive Data Corp., Level 3 Communications and Citibank. Lighthouse Real Estate Ventures, Mitsui Fudosan and CB Richard Ellis, who marketed the property on behalf of Lighthouse Real Estate Ventures were unable to be reached for comment regarding further terms of the transaction by press deadline.

"100 William's location within Downtown Manhattan perfectly complements our company's long-term strategic presence in the New York market, while also affording the owners the opportunity to add value through a repositioning program," notes Kosei Murakami, president and CEO of MFA, in a prepared statement. "Our strategy of acquiring quality assets in established but growing markets is reflected in this transaction, and has helped to enhance global competitiveness and profitability." Murakami adds that 100 William St. is a stable, income-generating property that will benefit from repositioning and the resurgence of the Downtown market."

MFA owns approximately 2.3 million sf of commercial space in its flagship property at 1251 Avenue of the Americas in New York City, where rents are now breaking $100 per sf. The company says in a statement that it continues to aggressively grow its US portfolio, with a strong focus on the New York City, San Francisco, Boston and Los Angeles markets. In the past year, MFA has acquired significant holdings in Washington, DC and San Francisco, and also owns two substantial properties in Downtown Los Angeles that it is holding pending future development opportunities.

"As we planned our reentry into the US commercial real estate market, we were attracted to Downtown Manhattan because of its solid underlying fundamentals and the continued, steady improvement of its office market. Murakami adds that 100 William St. is centrally located in the revitalized Manhattan Downtown district and possesses all of the characteristics we look for as we evaluate acquisitions.