THE MUSE
When Hal Barry first envisioned Allen Plaza more than five years ago, he always pictured public art as part of the plan. He believed it his duty to include art and parks that the public could enjoy. | |
On Sunday, we snapped a brand-new piece: Hal and one of his grandchildren. Late last week, his company's employees surprised Hal with the statue outside Barry Real Estate HQ at 55 Allen Plaza. An unveiling occurred after celebrating Hal?s birthday at FAB, an Allen Plaza restaurant. A fitting pick-me-up for a trying year: The developer has spent most of 2010 negotiating with lenders to keep control of the buildings and raw land that make up Allen Plaza. | |
A plaque next to the statue states: ?Vision: From the grateful associates of Barry Real Estate Companies? and features an excerpt from Theodore Roosevelt?s famed words about the "man in the arena": one ?who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat." |