Unisys: Out At Liberty Two?

Break out the Photoshop! The Philadelphia Business Journal reports Unisys is exploring ways to escape its planned move to Center City (the PBJ’s headline was so good I almost directly quoted it).

As you may recall, Unisys leased space in Liberty Two, then asked for a variance to put a giant sign on the side of the building. This upset other business owners, anti-billboard people and those who recently bought condos in Center City’s third-largest building (848 feet).

Now Unisys is taking its giant sign and going home. Or at least trying to:

Jones Lang LaSalle, which is handling the space, has sent out e-mail fliers to the brokerage community advertising that the space is available. Even though the space is being marketed through e-mail blasts and is even listed on an online commercial real estate database as being available, a Unisys spokesman was hesitant to say whether the company had all but decided not to move its headquarters to Center City.

“We’re looking at subleasing as an option,” said Jim Kerr, a company spokesman. “Nothing is final.” The company has not set a timeframe on what it will ultimately do with the Two Liberty space, Kerr said, but said that a decision may come by the end of the year.

A ploy (like when The Real World stopped production) or a legit business move with a dumb excuse tied to it (they might not want to move now anyway, with the economy)? Or maybe something else entirely?

All I know is, what happened to those “Rent to own N.E. Phila signs”? You saw them all around for a little bit, and then they disappeared. Hmm, weird.

Real Estate Wrap: Unisys exploring way to escape move to Center City [PBJ]