Unisys-sign battle could hurt City Hall

0 Comments | Philadelphia Inquirer, The, August, 2008 | by Miriam Hill Inquirer Staff Writer

It sounds so simple. Unisys Corp. wants to hang its corporate logo on its new Center City headquarters. Mayor Nutter backs Unisys. He's eager for his own way to advertise to the world that Philadelphia, long ridiculed as a city that kills free enterprise with bureaucracy and high taxes, is pro-business.

But with the last scheduled hearing on the issue before Philadelphia's Zoning Board happening Tuesday and the matter already before a federal judge, the costs to the city's image could be high in a battle that may be difficult to win legally, lawyers and other experts said. The spotlight so far has focused on Unisys and the 225 jobs - and the tax dollars - it will bring when it moves its headquarters from Blue Bell to Two Liberty Place next year. But Cigna Corp. already has...