TODAY, July 14, the New York City Council voted 43-0 to officially landmark the neon Pepsi-Cola sign on the Long Island City waterfront. The sign, with its iconic curlicue font, has stood in Long Island City for over 90 years. It spent 28 years on the Landmarks Preservation Commission’s backlog before the Commission voted to designate this spring. Despite the fact that the LPC voted for designation this spring, today’s Council vote makes the iconic Pepsi-Cola sign an official New York City Landmark.
City Council Majority Leader Jimmy Van Bramer, whose district includes the Pepsi-Cola sign and who pushed for the landmarking, released the following statement about the vote today:
“For almost 90 years, the swoops and swirls of the Pepsi-Cola sign have welcomed visitors to Long Island City and symbolized Queens’s status as an industrial powerhouse. Today, after long last, we’ve officially made the sign a New York City landmark, and this staggering piece of pop art will now shine forever across the East River. I want to thank my colleagues on the City Council for turning the dream of landmarking the Pepsi-Cola sign into a reality.”
The Pepsi sign has been landmarked (H/T Mike Lui)