This 65-foot tall sign has been beckoning shoppers for decades with its classic baby blue color and distinctive cursive font. By installing LED lights and shoring up this sign’s infrastructure, the Westgate Plaza property owners and tenants have invested in the plaza’s future, making this property a revenue driver for years to come.
The relighting ceremony and celebration took place today from 11:30am-12pm at Westgate Plaza, 911 Central Avenue, with a reception following at Gateway Diner.
More pictures of the celebration can be found here.
The sign, which came down in mid-November for refurbishment, was relit today as part of a celebration for this historic landmark. The ceremony was attended by Albany County Executive Daniel McCoy, Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan, Albany Treasurer Darius Shahinfar, Councilmember Mike O'Brien and representatives of Horizons Management Associates, as well as a number of the tenants from Westgate Plaza and the Central Avenue BID.
Horizons Management Associates, Inc., the Westgate Plaza owner and management company, has refurbished the historic Westgate Plaza sign, replacing the old neon with updated energy-efficient LEDs and reinforcing and repainting the large baby blue ovals. The sign’s restoration represents a significant commitment on the part of Horizons Management to protect this city’s history, promoting Albany’s distinctive character and identity.
Westgate Plaza is Albany’s oldest shopping center, and considered to be Albany’s first mall.
The plaza first opened in 1957 with 18 stores, including a mix of local and national chains. Some of the first tenants included Albany Public Market, Hall’s Drug Store, Jules Shoes, The Barbizon Shop, Joanne Shop, Robinson’s, JC Penney’s, Woolworth’s and WT Grant. Today, Westgate Plaza is home to 25 tenants, including Price Chopper, Rite Aid, Ocean State Job Lot, Payless Shoes, Best Fitness, H&R Block, Advance Auto Parts, M&T Bank, and Key Bank.
Today, Westgate Plaza is the retail centerpiece of Central Avenue’s west end shopping district, a high-traffic commercial corridor at Central Avenue’s western end. Central Avenue’s shopping district includes some 60 retailers, including five major car dealerships, five supermarkets and has nearly 1 million square feet of overall shopping and retail, making it the largest shopping destination in the region.
The plaza first opened in 1957 with 18 stores, including a mix of local and national chains. Some of the first tenants included Albany Public Market, Hall’s Drug Store, Jules Shoes, The Barbizon Shop, Joanne Shop, Robinson’s, JC Penney’s, Woolworth’s and WT Grant. Today, Westgate Plaza is home to 25 tenants, including Price Chopper, Rite Aid, Ocean State Job Lot, Payless Shoes, Best Fitness, H&R Block, Advance Auto Parts, M&T Bank, and Key Bank.
Today, Westgate Plaza is the retail centerpiece of Central Avenue’s west end shopping district, a high-traffic commercial corridor at Central Avenue’s western end. Central Avenue’s shopping district includes some 60 retailers, including five major car dealerships, five supermarkets and has nearly 1 million square feet of overall shopping and retail, making it the largest shopping destination in the region.
