Lower Manhattan vacancy could jump to 20%, Avalon Fort Greene tops out … and more

1. Lower Manhattan commercial vacancy rate could reach 20 percent by 2012 [NYO]
2. Sharlene’s Bar opens in old Mooney’s Pub space in Prospect Heights [NYT]
3. Empty seats in Yankee Stadium force team to cut ticket prices [WSJ]
4. In settlement, Carlyle Group to pay $20 million and make changes to business practices [NYT]
5. Founder of Forte Software puts Upper East Side home up for sale for $24.5 million [Cityfile]
6. Hudson Hill’s facade revealed [Curbed]
7. Avalon Fort Greene tops out [Brownstoner]
8. Closings start at 105 Lexington Avenue [Brownstoner]
9. FDIC chairman says banks need to be told to sell toxic assets [Bloomberg]
10. Amusement park experts want to make Coney Island like Disney World [Brooklyn Paper]
11. Italian architect Teresa Sapey’s Plaza apartment sees fourth price cut [NYO]
12. Hotel occupancy continues to decline nationwide [SFBJ]
13. Short sales not entirely a win-win [WSJ]
14. NYC real estate prices to fall another 35 percent, Deutsche Bank says [Business Insider]
15. Brokers’ median gross income plunged 14 percent in 2008, according to the National Association of Realtors [Inman]