Bank of China Ltd. is lending more than $250 million to refinance an office tower near Columbus Circle in Manhattan, according to people familiar with the matter, in the latest sign that cash-rich Chinese investors are funneling money into prime New York property.

　　據(jù)知情人士透露，中國銀行股份有限公司將向美國曼哈頓哥倫布環(huán)路附近的一座寫字樓提供逾2.5億美元的再融資貸款，這是現(xiàn)金充裕的中國投資者投資紐約黃金地段房產(chǎn)的最新跡象。

　　The five-year loan on the newly remodeled office building, called 3 Columbus Circle, is a boost for a partnership between SL Green Realty Corp. and developer Joseph Moinian that owns the 26-story building. They made headlines recently when SL Green, New York's largest office building owner, rode in to save Mr. Moinian from losing 3 Columbus to another landlord, Related Co.'s Stephen Ross.

　　這座新改建的辦公樓共26層，名為哥倫布環(huán)路3號(hào)(3 Columbus Circle)。曼哈頓商業(yè)地產(chǎn)投資信托基金SL Green Realty Corp.和擁有該辦公樓的開發(fā)商莫因尼安(Joseph Moinian)之間存在合作伙伴關(guān)系，中行為這座大樓發(fā)放五年期貸款是對(duì)二者伙伴關(guān)系的一個(gè)良好宣傳。SL Green Realty Corp.是紐約規(guī)模最大的寫字樓業(yè)主，前不久在該公司的幫助下，莫因尼安的哥倫布環(huán)路3號(hào)才沒有落入另一個(gè)房地產(chǎn)公司Related Co.掌門人羅斯(Stephen Ross)的手里，SL Green Realty Corp.與莫因尼安因此登上新聞?lì)^條。

　　The refinancing also is another big commercial real-estate loan made by Bank of China's New York branch, which has been aggressively pushing into New York and other U.S. markets in recent months. The loans underscore a broader overseas push by Chinese banks, which are being encouraged by Beijing to expand abroad to help diversify the country's enormous foreign-exchange reserves.

　　這筆融資貸款也是中國銀行紐約分行提供的另一筆大規(guī)模商業(yè)地產(chǎn)貸款。近幾個(gè)月來，該分行一直積極推進(jìn)自己在紐約和美國其它市場(chǎng)中的參與力度。這筆貸款凸顯出中資銀行在進(jìn)行更大范圍的海外擴(kuò)張。中國政府鼓勵(lì)這些銀行海外擴(kuò)張，目的是在一定程度上讓中國巨大的外匯儲(chǔ)備實(shí)現(xiàn)多樣化。

　　Bank of China underwrote the new loan on 3 Columbus Circle based on an estimated value of more than $500 million of the 700,000-square-foot property, the people with knowledge of the deal said. There is some risk associated with the 3 Columbus deal because the property is less than 30%-leased. But the loan is expected to include certain reserves and guarantees put up by the SL Green-led joint venture to make up for this, the people said.

　　 了解這筆交易的人說，中國銀行同意向哥倫布環(huán)路3號(hào)提供貸款，其依據(jù)是這座建筑面積70萬平方英尺(約合6.5萬平方米)的大樓估值超過5億美元。為這座大樓提供貸款具有一定的風(fēng)險(xiǎn)性，因?yàn)樗某鲎饴什蛔?0%。但這位人士說，為彌補(bǔ)這一點(diǎn)，預(yù)計(jì)這筆貸款將包含一定的儲(chǔ)備金和由SL Green主導(dǎo)的合資企業(yè)所提供的相關(guān)抵押品。

　　The five-year loan will replace the $250 million 'bridge,' or short-term, mortgage held by Deutsche Bank AG and SL Green that is coming due, the people said.

　　該知情人士說，中行此次提供的五年期貸款將替代德意志銀行(Deutsche Bank AG)和SL Green持有的2.5億美元的“過渡貸款”，后者是一筆即將到期的短期抵押貸款。

　　Raymond Qiao, first vice president at Bank of China's New York branch, declined to comment, as did a spokesman for Mr. Moinian.

　　中國銀行紐約分行第一副行長雷蒙德•喬(Raymond Qiao)拒絕置評(píng)，莫因尼安的發(fā)言人也拒絕置評(píng)。

　　The loan represents the latest chapter in the saga 3 Columbus Circle, formerly 1775 Broadway. Mr. Moinian, an Iranian immigrant who was very active in the boom years, spent about $100 million to upgrade it, including a new glass skin for the building.

　　中行這筆貸款代表有著豐富經(jīng)歷的哥倫布環(huán)路3號(hào)揭開了最新篇章，以前這座大樓名為百老匯1775號(hào)(1775 Broadway)。莫因尼安是一位伊朗移民，在美國經(jīng)濟(jì)繁榮時(shí)期表現(xiàn)活躍，曾斥資約1億美元對(duì)大樓進(jìn)行裝修，包括為大樓安裝新的玻璃外立面。

　　Last summer, Mr. Ross, made a grab for the building by purchasing the $250 million debt on the property. Mr. Ross's plan was to foreclose on and demolish the office project and redevelop the property with luxury condominiums and Nordstrom as its anchor tenant.

　　去年夏季，羅斯通過購買2.5億美元的大樓債務(wù)而成為了大樓的擁有者之一。羅斯的計(jì)劃原本是取消這座大樓的抵押品贖回權(quán)并將其拆除，然后再把它重新開發(fā)為豪華公寓，并將美國零售商諾德斯特龍(Nordstrom)作為大樓的主要租戶。

　　But Mr. Moinian blocked that in January by buying the mortgage back with help from another major New York City owner, SL Green.

　　不過，在紐約市另一個(gè)主要房地產(chǎn)所有者SL Green的支持下，莫因尼安今年1月回購了抵押的不動(dòng)產(chǎn)，進(jìn)而阻止了這一企圖。

　　With job growth stronger in Manhattan than in other parts of the country, the vacancy rate in Midtown dropped to 8% in the first quarter of 2011 its lowest level since the fourth quarter of 2008, according to Cushman & Wakefield.

　　高緯物業(yè)(Cushman & Wakefield)的數(shù)據(jù)顯示，曼哈頓的就業(yè)崗位增長比美國其他地區(qū)的勢(shì)頭要強(qiáng)，在這種情況下，2011年一季度曼哈頓中城的空置率降至8%，是2008年四季度以來的最低水平。

　　Foreign investors have long coveted New York property, some with more success than others. Japanese investors, for example, stumbled badly in the 1990s with their purchase of Rockefeller Center and their development of Americas Tower on Sixth Avenue.

　　外國投資者一直對(duì)紐約的房地產(chǎn)青睞有加，有些人收獲的多些，有些人收獲的少些。舉例來講，上世紀(jì)90年代日本投資者在買下洛克菲勒中心(Rockefeller Center)和開發(fā)位于第六大道的美洲大廈（Americas Tower）上受到沉重打擊。

　　Chinese banks so far appear to be relatively conservative in their approach to real-estate investment. Lenders have tried to limit their risks by financing buildings with stable existing cash flows and lending to developers and investors with a solid track record. They generally are offering to lend no more than 65% of a property's value. During the property frenzy, U.S. banks had lent more than 80% of a building's value.

　　目前為止，中資銀行在房地產(chǎn)投資方面看來相對(duì)保守。銀行一直努力降低風(fēng)險(xiǎn)，通常只為現(xiàn)金流穩(wěn)定的房地產(chǎn)項(xiàng)目融資，或?yàn)橥顿Y紀(jì)錄的開發(fā)商和投資者提供貸款。它們提供的貸款一般不超過總房價(jià)的65%。在樓市火爆時(shí)期，美國銀行業(yè)提供的貸款曾達(dá)到總房價(jià)的80%以上。

　　Late last year, Bank of China made an $800 million loan to Brookfield Office Properties to refinance the office building at 245 Park Ave., near Grand Central Terminal. That loan was the biggest on a single building provided by a single lender during the economic downturn.

　　 去年底，中國銀行向Brookfield Office Properties提供8億美元貸款，以為這座位于公園大道(Park Ave.) 245號(hào)、靠近紐約中央車站(Grand Central Terminal)的寫字樓提供再融資。這筆貸款是經(jīng)濟(jì)衰退期間一家銀行向一座大樓提供的最大一筆貸款。

　　In June, Industrial & Commercial Bank of China, that country's largest bank by assets, closed its first commercial-property loan in the U.S. by lending $150 million to help refinance a 27-story office-and-retail tower in midtown Manhattan, called 650 Madison Avenue. The ICBC financing was part of a $355 million loan led by Wells Fargo & Co. to a partnership led by private-equity firm Carlyle Group.

　　去年6月，工商銀行完成了在美國的首筆商業(yè)房地產(chǎn)貸款，提供1.50億美元幫助曼哈頓中城27層的商業(yè)辦公綜合大樓麥迪遜大道650號(hào)(650 Madison Avenue)再融資。工商銀行提供的貸款是由富國銀行(Wells Fargo & Co.)牽頭發(fā)放的3.55億美元貸款的一部分，貸款方是由私募股權(quán)公司凱雷集團(tuán)(Carlyle Group)牽頭的一個(gè)合伙企業(yè)。工商銀行是中國資產(chǎn)規(guī)模最大的銀行。

　　Bank of China and ICBC, which are both 70%-owned by the Chinese government, have been betting that property values in the U.S. have fallen enough that their lending risks will be limited. They are particularly fond of the New York market because of the relatively healthy demand for office space in times both good and bad.

　　中國銀行和工商銀行均由中國政府持股70%。兩家銀行一直押注美國的房價(jià)已經(jīng)跌到一定程度，足以使它們只面臨有限的放貸風(fēng)險(xiǎn)。它們尤其看好紐約市場(chǎng)，因?yàn)闊o論經(jīng)濟(jì)景氣與否，紐約的寫字樓需求都相對(duì)旺盛。