Overview
- Liberty Mutual has told Boston planners it wants a vertical addition to the eastern wing of its 22‑story tower and a new 10‑story building on a triangular parcel at Stuart Street and Columbus Avenue.
- The company said the work is meant to establish its workplace for the next 100 years and to consolidate its Boston operations into an expanded single headquarters.
- The proposal calls for demolishing three adjacent red‑brick buildings at 135‑137 and 139‑145 Columbus Ave. and 304‑308 Stuart St., which include longtime commercial tenants and structures recorded by the Massachusetts Historical Commission.
- Liberty Mutual signaled it may seek a zoning change tied to a new ‘signage program,’ a move that could trigger the Planning Department’s design review under recently streamlined rooftop sign rules and follow precedents such as the John Hancock sign.
- Key project details remain unresolved, including the architect, exact addition heights and whether the plan would affect the 2013 tax‑increment financing deal and other public incentives, leaving neighborhood impact and financial questions for upcoming city review.