6
QUEENS WEEKLY, AUGUST 25, 2019
BY MARK HALLUM
Built by the General
Outdoor Advertising
Company in 1940, the Pepsi-
Cola sign has squatters
rights in the hearts and
minds of New Yorkers
and has been a celebrated
protected landmark in the
last few years.
But PepsiCo, which still
owns the sign, and JetBlue
may have struck a deal in
poor taste by adding airline
logos to the iconic piece of
Americana standing above
the East River looking
toward Manhattan.
On Aug. 21, workers
were still busy mounting
JetBlue signage on the
Pepsi-Cola sign as people
going about their morning
routine did double-takes
along the waterline.
And while many took
to Twitter to air their
grievances, the airline
and the beverage company
issued a joint statement
calling the new temporary
imagery a “sign of
enjoyment for all.”
“We know that people
love the Pepsi-Cola sign
in Long Island City,
which also happens to
be JetBlue’s home. It’s a
living monument of both
the Pepsi brand, and New
York City. That’s exactly
why we believe it is the
perfect symbol to celebrate
our partnership,” the joint
statement said. “This is
a temporary installation
and the sign will be
returned to its original
state on October 1. PepsiCo
worked closely with
Landmarks Preservation
Commission, Queens West
Development Corporation
and Landmark Signs to
make sure the integrity
of the sign is carefully
preserved throughout
this initiative.”
PepsiCo said that since
Long Island City was also
home to JetBlue, who
will also be serving their
beverages in the sky, the
new look was befitting
the partnership.
The companies
claimed the signage will
capture the attention of
photography enthusiasts
from many vantage points
throughout the city.
While temporary
JetBlue logo is only
temporary, the companies
see it being completed
by Aug. 22 at which time
onlookers can start
tagging #PepsiOnJetBlue,
according to a release.
The sign was designated
a landmark by the
Landmark Preservation
Commission (LPC) in 2016
after a 30-year fight and a
unanimous vote in City
Council. Representative
of a different era in Long
Island City in which
large illuminated signs
dominated the landscape
on the eastern side of the
river, many were eager to
protect the sign’s legacy.
“The Pepsi plant
closed in 1999, and TF
Cornerstone took over
much of land. Now the sign
is sandwiched between
Gantry Plaza State Park
and luxury living high-rise
towers. Even though it’s
temporary it’s unsettling
as the door has been
opened. Not happy. No one
wants this,” tweeted @
Eric11714 on Aug. 21.
A spokeswoman from
the LPC said it was in
the agency’s right to
authorize the agreement
between PepsiCo and
JetBlue as long as it did
not affect any protected
features, but allowed the
advert on the basis of
an escrow agreement to
ensure limited nature of
the arrangement.
An LPC spokesperson
told QNS, “On Aug. 14,
LPC issued a permit to
PepsiCo for the temporary
installation of illuminated
JetBlue signage on the
Pepsi Cola Sign to be
removed on or before
Oct. 1, 2019.”
The agreement
obtained from by QNS
cited Section 25-306
of the Administrative
Code which permits the
temporary sign.
New Forest Pk. gates
aim to reduce noise
Parks officials and City Councilman Robert Holden show
off the new Forest Park Bandshell parking lot gate.
BY MAX PARROTT
The Parks Department’s
Queens office recently
installed a gate outside
Forest Park Bandshell
parking lot that will
physically enforce a 10 p.m.
curfew in the area.
The installation marks
a victory in Councilman
Robert Holden’s monthslong
campaign against car
clubs who use the parking
lot to meet in the parking
lot and blast loud music out
of their car stereos.
Holden has worked
closely with the local police
precincts on the issue,
urging them in April to
be more vigorous about
enforcing noise violations
after a surge of constituent
made 311 complaints about
the noise.
“This gate comes after
many weeks of cooperation
between the community,
my office, the NYPD
and Parks Department,
who were all committed
to solving a problem
Photo: Max Parrott/QNS
that was disruptive to
the neighborhood,”
Holden said.
While members of the
auto community claimed
that tickets were not going
to stop other enthusiasts
from showing off their
audio systems, which can
often cost between $25,000
to $30,000, a solid metal
gate certainly will.
The Parks Department
said that new swing gates
provide better security for
the lot. The installation
of the gates, including
ordering of materials, took
about a month and cost
approximately $2,000.
Borough Parks
Commissioner Michael
Docket said that the
gates were built with
Parks Department
construction workers.
Along with the gates, the
Parks Department installed
new signage which states
the rules, including the
prohibition of amplified
sound, barbecuing
and idling.
‘No one wants this’: JetBlue logo
on Pepsi-Cola sign raises eyebrows
The iconic Pepsi-Cola sign with the JetBlue logo in Long Island
City, as seen on Aug. 21. Photo: Mark Hallum/QNS
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