"We signed a new 15-year lease with AXA Equitable Life Insurancefor 245,000 sf at Newport Tower in Jersey City," a spokesperson forthe New York City-based Brookfield tells GlobeSt.com. "It bringsthat building's occupancy to 98.5%. We acquired the building inOctober 2006 with the Trizec acquisition."

Reports say Scott Panzer, Deborah Vanderheyden and Steve Rotterof Newmark Knight Frank represented AXA. A request for commentbrought a confirmation of the deal but a referral to an AXAspokesman, who did not respond by deadline. Brookfield wasrepresented by Ed Duenas of Cushman & Wakefield's EastRutherford office, and Kevin Daly of that firm's Midtown Manhattanoffice. The brokers declined to comment.

The New York City-based law firm Loeb & Loeb issued astatement, "Raymond A. Sanseverino, chair of the firm's real estatedepartment, and associate Dana A. Rosenthal represented Loeb &Loeb client Brookfield Properties in its lease…in Newport Tower…toAXA Equitable Life Insurance Co. Sanseverino has handled BrookfieldProperties' leasing work for more than 10 years."