By Daniel Geiger

Rumors are swirling that Nomura, the large Japanese financial company, may renew its 800,000 s/f lease at the World Financial Center. Brookfield Properties, owner of the four-building office complex in lower Manhattan, did not return calls seeking confirmation of the potential transaction. Conflicting accounts of Nomura’s office decision-making in the city have been reverberating through Manhattan’s real estate industry in recent weeks, a level of attention that reflects the magnitude of the transaction.

By Roland Li

The Upper West Side townhouse at 311 West 74th Street known as the Music House has been sold for $8.55 million, according to city records. The sellers were Andrew and Alla Bares, who purchased the property in 2007 from George Wein, the founder of the Newport Jazz and Folk Festivals.