You've surely heard or read by now that principal Red Sox owner John Henry has offered to pay $70 million in cash for The Boston Globe, among other New England media brands. Big doings, no doubt—and we hope he doesn't f*ck with The Globe, as it does a fantastic job—but all we can think about here is the Brookline Valhalla that Henry built from the rubble of ex-L.A. Dodgers owner Frank McCourt's estate.
In an August 2011 piece meant to chronicle the region's "most grandiose and overbuilt ego-monuments masquerading as private homes," Globe columnist Alex Beam wrote thus of Henry's planned estate:
After paying $16 million for the property four years ago, Henry chose to raze McCourt's 13,000-square-foot red brick Georgian Revival mansion, and an adjacent home. Both originally belonged to Charles Sprague Sargent, the first director of the Arnold Arboretum. What's Henry replacing it with? Columns, many Doric columns. I counted a total of 30 when I looked at the plans on file at Brookline Town Hall. From the street, you can see a grand entryway, which has a Hyatt Vacation Club feel to it. ...
What else besides columns? Plenty. Henry easily bests Pallotta and Fireman in the MansionSprawl sweepstakes, with more than 35,000 square feet of living space. He is constructing a home theater, a theater lobby, a "grotto,'' (very Plato's Retreat!), a two-tier garage for eight cars, a "safe room,'' sports lounge, chef's kitchen, family kitchen, and "her study'' for his wife, Linda Pizzuti. "His study'' must be over at Fenway.
It's a fun read. Check it out before The Globe takes it down.
· Oh, Henry! [Globe]