Internet search engine Google Inc on Wednesday said it has bought an 18-storey building in New York to accommodate more than its 2,000-strong workforce in the world’s financial capital.

Details regarding the buying price were not disclosed.

However, the New York Post put the cost at $1.77 billion and said the final price, including transfer tax and other fees could go up to $1.9 billion for the building at 111 Eighth Avenue in Chelsea neighborhood.

“Google New York started in a Starbucks on 86th Street with one person in 2000 -- a scrappy, highly-caffeinated sales 'team'. Now we have more than 2,000 Googlers working on a variety of projects in both sales and engineering -- and we're hiring across the board, said David Radcliffe, vice-president for real estate and workplace services of Google in a blog post.

He said the Internet search company was glad to close a deal with the partnership of Taconic Investment Partners, Jamestown Properties and the New York State Common Retirement Fund to buy 111 Eighth Avenue.

We believe that this is a great real estate investment in a thriving neighborhood and a fantastic city, he was quoted as saying.

The Art Deco building has numerous back-up generators, lots of electrical power, antennas, fiber optics and high-tech facilities available to tenants”, the Post reported

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