FLORHAM PARK, NJ-The New York-based arm of the global investment group will announce later today that it has acquired three office buildings at 180 Park Ave. here from The Rockefeller Group for a price in excess of $110M. The 606,622-sf purchase was made in conjunction with Lincoln Equities Group, which will act as leasing agent and property manager for the assets.

NEW YORK CITY-Cushman & Wakefield chairman John C. Cushman III and AIG SunAmerica Inc. chairman Eli Broad used a Manhattan event yesterday to boost investments on Downtown LA, dubbing it the best market in the US.

NEW YORK CITY-At a reception last week, the Alliance for Downtown New York president Carl Weisbrod continued to champion transportation as key to retaining Downtown businesses. Recent Alliance research indicates that half of all companies here either plan to leave or are undecided on whether to stay in the city.

HOUSTON-Cyntech Technologies will have 65 plants in Europe, the Middle East and Africa and 65 plants across North America and the Pacific Rim up and running within 10 years. Chicago's GVA Worldwide will select, develop and manage the sites.

NEW YORK CITY-The upscale women's-apparel chain takes 10,000 sf of retail space in a Flatiron District duplex. The 10-plus year, $200-per-sf signing is Searle's seventh lease in Manhattan.

NEW YORK CITY-Longtime owners in Harlem cash in as high rents elsewhere in Manhattan push tenants north, while buyers are equally pleased to take advantage of record-low interest rates. A broker for a recent $3.9-million, two-building sale tells GlobeSt.com that less-prime buys are becoming increasingly attractive to major investors.

NEW YORK CITY-At yesterday's BOMA conference, City Council member Alan Gerson said that new office guidelines on the World Trade Center site may be scaled back to six million sf, and that some of the displaced office space could move into Chinatown. Additionally, Council Land Use Committee chair Melinda Katz indicated that plans for a land swap with the Port Authority are no longer on the table.

NEW YORK CITY-Borders Books takes 30,000 sf to open a new store at 100 Broadway. The bookseller plans to occupy the space, currently under construction, in the fall 2003.