The 90-foot tall sign, which was first installed in 1960, is comprised of two baby blue ovals, mounted on flaired steel pylons that were brought to the city on two railroad flatbed cars. The sign has become a local icon, beckoning shoppers to the city’s west end.
Ann Moreno, Director of Real Estate at Horizons Management Associates LLC, the property manager for Westgate Plaza, says the sign will be taken down in stages, beginning with the neon today, and then, over the weekend, the two ovals will be removed using a crane. Work will continue through Sunday.
Once disassembled, the pieces will be taken to Saxton Sign Corp in Castleton for refurbishment. In 1960 Judge Neon Sign Company of Albany (now Saxton Sign Corp.) manufactured and erected the Westgate Shopping Center Sign. As part of the refurbishment, the neon lights will be replaced with more modern, energy-efficient LEDs. The steel will also be reinforced and the catwalk will be replaced.
Moreno says the restored sign will be remounted in mid-December. The company and plaza tenants will celebrate with a re-lighting ceremony.
