The Carlyle Group closed today on the purchase of an interest in the retail condo at 666 Fifth Avenue, the tower that Kushner Companies bought last year for a then-record $1.8 billion, according to a source familiar with the deal.

Carlyle Group -– the mammoth private equity group that manages $82.7 billion in 60 funds worldwide and recently, with Ashkenazy Acquisition Corp., bought 650 Madison Avenue for $680 million -- is purchasing this deal in partnership with Stanley Chera's Crown Acquisitions. The 49 percent stake, as reported by Bloomberg News, in the approximately 90,000-square-foot retail portion, which includes a Brooks Brothers and the NBA Store, is valued in the deal at $525 million.  read more »

Victoria's Secret, lingerie maker to the masses, will remain in 666 Fifth Avenue, the cloud-buster Jared Kushner (owner of The Observer) bought from Tishman Speyer for a record-setting $1.8 billion.

The company renewed its lease for 55,755 square feet, at $92 a square foot, for five more years in the 41-story building, which just got an $18 million renovation that included a fancy new lobby.  read more »