Liberty Mutual Tower | 157 Berkeley Street | Back Bay

Re: Liberty Mutual plans major Boston expansion

News:

I'm thrilled to announce that I have been commissioned to create a permanent site specific sculpture for Liberty Mutual's new headquarters in Boston's Back Bay. Titled UPLIFT, this new work is an indoor-outdoor sculpture made of waterjet cut stainless steel and aluminum. UPLIFT will act as a metaphorical bridge between the new Liberty Mutual Headquarters Building and the surrounding streetscape, visually linking the Liberty Mutual and local communities together. UPLIFT will be unveiled to the public in June of 2013.

It is also my great pleasure to share that I have been commissioned by the MTA to create window screens for the 80th Street A train station in Queens, NY. This station will be renovated and open to the public in 2015.
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http://miapearlman.com/
 
Re: Liberty Mutual plans major Boston expansion

Never go by the renderings when it comes to something like that.
 
Re: Liberty Mutual plans major Boston expansion

I'd be happier if it was commissioned for Rhea Pearlman.
 
Re: Liberty Mutual plans major Boston expansion

I believe the unmbrella tables shown in the rendering are for the corporate dining hall. In the rendering you see a small fence that closes the area in. The public will get a small coffee cart/counter in the lobby.
 
Re: Liberty Mutual plans major Boston expansion

All sidewalk cafes in Boston on public sidewalks require fencing or another form of separation from the remainder of the sidewalk. The fact that there is fencing in the rendering is meaningless. Whether there will actually be a public cafe is another story. Lets hope so.
 
Re: Liberty Mutual plans major Boston expansion

It was reported in a number of news sources that the cafe on the first floor was for employees only. Maybe that has since changed, I dont know.

From the South End News:
"Though the advisory group won the fight to have an employee entrance on Columbus St., Herbert said the suggestion to have a public cafe was mostly ignored by Liberty Mutual, who he said seemed to have decided on the scope of the building before the advisory group was formed."

"Liberty Mutual did make small changes in their original plans based on the group’s suggestions, including adding a public take-out component to their employee cafeteria and an open space for the neighborhood. Subsequent meetings will, Herbert guessed, be about the open space."

I'm not sure what the "Public take-out component" will be.
 
Re: Liberty Mutual plans major Boston expansion

Hate to be negative but likely about as public as Fidelity's cafeteria on Summer Street.
 
Re: Liberty Mutual plans major Boston expansion

atlrvr said:
Revoke it retroactively? Holy crap people. HenryAlan was along the lines of the right analogy.

Shirley's letter was filled with conjecture and examples of other projects that have no bearing on the finances of this property.

There is a big difference between "could Libery Mutual have paid for the tower without a tax break" and "would Liberty Mutual have paid for the tower without a tax break". Think about it this way, Fidelity is shriking in Mass and growing in NH, NC and Texas, because guess what? It costs less to be there.

Insurance companies pass along costs to customers. When you are competing against competitors in lower cost places (think Hartford, Columbus, GA, Columbus, OH, suburban Chicago, etc) it's hard to have lower business costs when operating in Boston's Back Bay. Sure, you probably can recruit brighter people that helps drive revenue/reduce expenses, but those people and that location costs far more.

For $50MM in savings, I can think of lots of sunbelt states that would happily have office space and lower labor costs that would have soaked up those jobs (not to mention they would have offered incentives too)

In other words, I can afford a new Hugo Boss suit, but I personally don't buy them until they go on sale.
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And to my point, Metlife is relocating 2,600 jobs from Lowell, Boston, Warwick, and other sites in NJ, PA, and CA to Charlotte and Cary, NC. This was announced yesterday following $90+MM in incentives. Right or wrong, this is the current business environment, and companies like MetLife and Liberty Mutual that makes their profits off of investing their customer's premiums in bonds (which are paying all-time record low interest rates for years now) have to figure out ways of reducing costs.

This means, relocating to lower cost states, laying-off people, getting tax incentives, or it MetLife's case all 3. AIG will be doing all 3. State Farm is doing all 3. Allstate is doing all 3. While I understand the disdain of subsidizing profitable companies, these large corporations have plenty of suitors, and are beholden to shareholders rather than romantic notions of community commitment.
 
Re: Liberty Mutual plans major Boston expansion

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Re: Liberty Mutual plans major Boston expansion

^^^^

Great Pic of these buildings. I actually love this pic of the Backbay
 
Re: Liberty Mutual plans major Boston expansion

Nice little collection of very "stately" buildings all layered with each other. When zoomed in and isolated like this, they look quite beautiful. When zoomed out with a view of the whole skyline, they tend to look silly.

Great shot.

PS: 500 Boylston, I love you.
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Re: Liberty Mutual plans major Boston expansion

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Re: Liberty Mutual plans major Boston expansion

Man, I don't care what people say. That is a handsome building. From all angles. Also blends in so well with "Boston" that I've spoken to a lot of people who don't realize it's a new construction.
 
Re: Liberty Mutual plans major Boston expansion

Mussolini will be at the dedication ceremony, si?
 
Re: Liberty Mutual plans major Boston expansion

^ If you're comparing this to 1930s Italian construction, I'm sure Liberty would take it as a complement...
 
Re: Liberty Mutual plans major Boston expansion

Mussolini: blood thirsty fascist
Liberty Mutual: blood sucking insurance company
Yes, I suppose LM would take it as a compliment.
 
Re: Liberty Mutual plans major Boston expansion

Brad Plaid said:
Mussolini: blood thirsty fascist
Liberty Mutual: blood sucking insurance company
Yes, I suppose LM would take it as a compliment.
Click to expand...

Whatever... I still like the building.
 
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