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]

The Unisys Sign Dilemma

A hearing about the proposed Unisys sign on Liberty Two last night was so full of Philadelphians acting like the world would end if the sign was/was not put up it isn’t even over yet. The Zoning Board held a two-hour hearing and then called it quits, for now.

Unisys has essentially said the company will not move downtown without a sign, for some reason, and some historian even testified in favor of it.

The head of SCRUB also chimed in: “Do we prostitute our visual space in order to lure them here?” The residents of the new condos at Liberty Two have filed a federal lawsuit against Unisys in an attempt to block the sign. All of this should be settled in time for the tricentennial.

June 6: Unisys Wants Sign On Liberty Two

Unisys Wants Sign On Liberty Two

Daniel Rubin writes in his Inquirer column today about new Liberty Two tenant Unisys’ plans for signs 2/3rd of the way up the building. He even talks to Mr. Beautyman for his opinion on the signs. (Surprise: The tenants don’t like them.)

And he also gets someone to say that the Unisys signs could be a target for terrorists!

Charles Mouzannar, an engineer who bought a home on the 43d floor, argues that the signs would paint a bull’s-eye on the sapphire blue-and-silver glass building.

Unisys, he writes, provides IT services to the military. “A prominent Unisys sign could potentially entice terrorists to target this building, believing that this is the Unisys headquarters or a structure solely occupied by the corporation.”

Are we to assume terrorists do no research before they commit an attack? They have the Internet, they can probably look up the tenants of a building in the planning stages.

Liberty Place residents fight Unisys plan [Inquirer]
Original photo by Brad Maule

Condo Destroying Earth One Trip At A Time

There’s a story in today’s Inquirer about the residents at the new condos at Liberty Two. The cheapest place in the skyscraper is $1 million, but you do get perhaps the best view of the city. There are only about 20 residents in the building, but they already have four concierges doting on them 24/7, a complimentary driver and Mercedes from 7 a.m. - 11 p.m. and probably anything else you could imagine.

Then there’s the story of Michael Beautyman, who used the driver to help him find a couch.

A health-care attorney, world-class athlete and divorced father of two from Flourtown, Beautyman is still decorating. Last week, he asked the Residences’ driver to take him around the city in search of a sofa. No hunting through Macy’s for a floor model. No flipping through Pottery Barn catalogs, or testing the springs on a garage-sale special. The driver took him from store to store. [...]

So, did he find the couch? “No. I found three possibilities. More important, I found an interior decorator at Mitchell Gold who’s helping me.”

Liberty Two: 16th and Chestnut streets. Mitchell Gold and Bob Williams: 13th and Chestnut streets. I would always suggest driving when attempting to hire an interior designer from down the block. Fortunately for Beautyman, even if all the ice caps melt he’ll be about 700 stories up, sitting on his comfy oatmeal-colored couch in peace.

Tip-Top Service [Inquirer]

Developing: Top Of Liberty Two Can Open

Last night, three workers in the top of Liberty Two were overcome by fumes and had to be rescued. (They’re doing okay.) While they were being rescued, the window on top of the building was opened. Who knew?

This brings up some interesting questions: What other surprises do our city’s skyscrapers hold? Does Liberty One open to unveil a missle launcher? Can you crack open Billy Penn and feast on the candy inside? Can the Cira Center fly? And don’t get me started on what secrets the Comcast Center will hold.

High-Rise Rescue Saves Workers Overtaken By Fumes [NBC 10]