GE project comes to life
General Electric CEO Jeff Immelt praised the city for its resources and deep talent pool as the exec joined Gov. Charlie Baker, Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh and numerous other pols in breaking ground on the company’s $200 million future headquarters in the Seaport District.
“I love the culture of Boston, the can-do attitude, it really shows up every place in town and we are just thrilled to be here,” Immelt said. “I think this is going to be one of the most important cities in the world, and GE can be part of that renaissance.”
The new headquarters will include a 12-story tower and the refurbishment of two older buildings that will eventually house 800 GE employees.
“This is the start of what I would like to call a terrific relationship,” Baker said. “We have a commonwealth that lives by its wits and that has built, over the course of my decades, some of the best ecosystems in technology and the life sciences you’re going to find anywhere in the world.”
The site of the new headquarters is a former candy factory.
Walsh called it “an exciting day for Boston.”
“We are looking at 2.4 acres at a key point of our waterfront and, yes, this site has been limited for many years,” the mayor said.
A small group of protesters stood behind a fence outside and chanted in apparent opposition to the nearly $150 million in state incentives and city property tax relief GE received to help lure the multinational conglomerate from Connecticut to the Hub. Ignoring the disruption, both Baker and Walsh touted the benefits of having the company relocate to Boston, including local jobs.