**Design and History of the Pepsi-Cola Sign:**
– Original sign designed by General Outdoor Advertising Corporation in 1940.
– Original sign faced west towards United Nations headquarters in Manhattan.
– Original sign read Pepsi:Cola 5c, with a 50-foot Pepsi bottle lit by 400-watt lamps.
– Current 1994 sign by Artkraft Strauss measures 49 feet tall and 150 feet wide.
– Long Island City developed as a commercial hub due to proximity to Manhattan.
– Pepsi-Cola expanded to Long Island City in 1937, purchasing land lots on the East River.
**Sign Placement, Restoration, and Relocation:**
– Original sign placed atop Pepsi-Cola plant in 1940.
– NYC approved permit for the sign in May 1940.
– Original sign nearly destroyed in a 1992 storm, rebuilt by Artkraft Strauss.
– Sign relocated to Gantry Plaza State Park in 2004.
– Sign moved 300 feet south in 2004 due to plant demolition.
**Landmark Status and Designation of the Pepsi-Cola Sign:**
– Sign considered for city landmark status by LPC in 1988.
– LPC calendared sign for landmark status during reconstruction.
– Sign designated a NYC landmark in June 2016.
– Sign’s lowest eight stories recessed by 12 feet in nearby development.
– JetBlue logo temporarily installed under the sign in 2019.
**Significance of Landmark Designation and Public Opinion:**
– Landmarks are typically 30 years old, but the reconstructed sign was historically accurate.
– Residents and online commentators criticized the JetBlue sign addition.
– LPC regulations regarding NYC landmarks.
– Sign owner opposed landmark designation.
– Media coverage from The Wall Street Journal, ABC News, QNS.com, and New York Times.
**References and Related Topics:**
– References from Louis M. Brill, Brooklyn Daily Eagle, The New York Times, David W. Dunlap, and LIC Post.
– Related topics include a list of New York City Designated Landmarks in Queens, Landmarks Preservation Commission reports, zoning the billboard article, Long Island City and Dutch Kills history, and New York Daily News reports on the Pepsi sign.
The Pepsi-Cola sign is a neon sign at Gantry Plaza State Park in the Long Island City neighborhood of Queens in New York City. The sign, visible from Manhattan and the East River, was built in 1940 and originally installed atop PepsiCo (previously Pepsi-Cola)'s bottling factory nearby. It is composed of a 50-foot (15 m) depiction of a Pepsi bottle, as well as lettering that reflected PepsiCo's logo when the sign was commissioned.
| Pepsi-Cola sign | |
|---|---|
 The sign in 2015 | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Location | 4-09 47th Road, Long Island City, New York |
| Coordinates | 40°44′51″N 73°57′28″W / 40.74750°N 73.95778°W |
| Completed | 1940 (original) 1993 (current) |
| Design and construction | |
| Main contractor | General Outdoor Advertising Corporation (original) Artkraft Strauss (current) |
| Designated | April 12, 2016 |
| Reference no. | 1653 |
The Pepsi-Cola sign was likely manufactured by the General Outdoor Advertising Company and was New York state's longest electric sign when completed. The bottle depiction was replaced in the 1970s, and Artkraft Strauss Sign Corporation rebuilt the rundown sign in 1993. When the Pepsi facility was closed in 2003, the sign was relocated to the park. The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission began holding hearings on whether to make the sign a city landmark in 1988, though it was not designated as such until 2016.