NEW YORK - The Empire State Building, one of New York's most prominent landmarks, is being sold for US$57.5 million ($131.6 million).
Property mogul Donald Trump and his billionaire Japanese partner, Hideki Yokoi, are selling the 102-storey building to real estate investor Peter Malkin, whose company holds a lease on ituntil 2076.
The world's tallest building when it opened in 1931, the Empire State became New York City's tallest skyscraper again after the twin towers of the World Trade Centre were destroyed by the September 11 attacks.
As a result of the deal, the same group of investors will own the building and control the long-term lease for the first time since 1961.
Experts say the sale price is low because the long-term nature of the lease means the building makes relatively little money for its owner - US$1.97m ($4.54m) a year in rent.
But Trump and Yokoi will still net more than US$6m ($13.8m) from the sale.
Little is expected to change for the 950 tenants and 20,000 workers in the building.
Some companies opted to leave the building after the terrorist attacks but building spokesman Howard Rubenstein said at the time that he believed people would remain confident in the strength and resilience of the building at the corner of Fifth Avenue and 34th St.
The building was hit by an aircraft in a crash towards the end of World War II.
Security has been high at the Empire State Building since the September 11 attacks, and the thousands of tourists visiting for its famed views of Manhattan have faced airport-style x-ray and metal detector checks in the lobby.
