Google to Buy New York Office Building

Google Inc. has signed a contract to buy the building that houses its New York City offices, in a deal that values the property at close to $1.9 billion, according to people familiar with the matter.

The deal for the massive 2.9-million-square-foot property at 111 Eighth Avenue is the biggest for a single building in the U.S. this year.

While the building is located in Manhattan's Chelsea neighborhood—and not one of the...