Cohen & Steers, a investment portfolio management firm that invests in global real estate securities and large cap value stocks, among other securities, has renewed its lease for 87,000 square feet for three floors at 280 Park Avenue, The Commercial Observer has learned.

The firm, which is currently on the 10th, 19th and 20th floors, has extended its lease for 10 years, according to a person familiar with the deal. Asking rent for the building is in the low $100s-a-square-foot. SL Green Realty Corp and Vornado Realty Trust partnered together in 2011 to assume $400 million in debt for the 31-story office building.

Representatives for both firms worked on the deal in-house.

Cohen & Steers had been subleasing 46,031 square feet of space on the 10th floor of 280 Park Avenue from Credit Suisse First Boston since January 12, 2005, according to SEC records. That space is set to expire in February 2014, which Cohen & Steers will lease directly from SL Green and Vornado.

Vornado and SL Green assumed control of the building from Investcorp and Broadway Partners, both of whom paid $1.278 billion in 2007, one of the highest amounts paid for an office building that year.

Since then, both real estate investment trusts have embarked on an ambitious capital improvement plan.

"We are doing a whole transformation," said a person close to both companies. "We are gutting the whole building and starting over." The building will be outfitted with a new lobby and plaza, among other improvements. KPF Architects are overseeing the $100 million renovation for the building.

Daniel Edward Rosen is reachable at drosen@observer.com.

7City Learning, Inc., a London-based global financial services training company, has renewed its lease for 7,500 square feet of space at 55 Broad Street in Lower Manhattan. Asking rents at 55 Broad Street are in the mid-$30 range.

Eugene Baumstein of Rudin Mangement, the leasing and managing agent for the property, represented the landlord in the 5-year lease. Oliver Petrovic of Vortex Group represented 7City Learning Inc.

The Rudin Family’s high-tech tower at 55 Broad Street offers 7City Learning the opportunity to remain in close proximity to the Financial District, something that was and still is very important to them, according to Mr. Petrovic.

“After looking at the midtown and downtown markets, we felt we were best off at our current location, particularly since we needed open space with no columns for our classrooms and that’s exactly what 55 Broad Street offered,” said 7City Learning’s U.S. chief operating officer, Charlie Hanover, in a prepared statement.

The global training company also has locations in Singapore and Dubai in addition to its New York headquarters at 55 Broad Street. The 30-story, 400,000 square foot office tower was also completely renovated and modernized in 1995 and updated to accommodate a wide range of video conferencing, internet access options and extensive capabilities.

Other notable tenants occupying the space include Starbucks, Polytechnic University, Carnegie Mellon, and Nokia. The building is currently 95 percent leased.

Lindsey Cherner is reachable at lcherner@observer.com