Seattle City Light’s iconic sign to lose its neon

CityLightSignHighRes
(Photo courtesy Seattle City Light)

If you use the West Seattle Bridge east of 99 at night, it’s a landmark of sorts – Seattle City Light‘s big red neon sign. Soon, its neon will be gone. Here’s SCL’s announcement:

Seattle City Light has contracted with Seattle-based Western Neon Custom Sign Builders to replace the neon lights in the iconic City Light signs at its South Service Center at 4th Ave. S. and S. Spokane Street with LED rope lighting, beginning July 26.

The iconic signs will go dark during the project, which is expected to last up to two weeks. Once complete, the new lights will resemble the classic amber color of the original signs, which were built in the 1920s. The signs do not have Seattle landmark status, but they are the last remaining pair of full “CITY LIGHT” signs from that era. City Light historically had similar signs at its Yesler Substation and control center, the Cedar Falls powerhouse and the Lake Union steam plant.

“Historic signs give continuity to public spaces, becoming part of the community memory. They sometimes become landmarks in themselves, almost without regard for the building to which they are attached, or the property on which they stand,” said City Light Historic Resource Specialist and Architectural Historian Rebecca Ossa, quoting from the National Park Service’s Preservation Brief on Historic Signs. “This project allows City Light to preserve a bit of its early history while demonstrating energy efficient lighting for the thousands of people who pass by the sign every day.”

Replacement of the neon lights in the South Service Center signs is needed because they have outlived their expected life span and have become hard to maintain. Using LED lighting will save energy and save money while maintaining the historical look of the signs.

A team of employees from City Light’s Facilities and Customer Energy Solutions divisions and its Lighting Design Lab designed the changes. The last upgrade to the signs was in the late 1980s.

The City Light signs are actually 18 separate signs. Each letter is its own, separate sign. One set faces west and one set faces east toward Interstate 5.

34 Replies to "Seattle City Light's iconic sign to lose its neon"

  • JesterPhotog July 22, 2016 (12:42 pm)

    This sucks. I enjoy the mornings in the winter when I drive to work and get to see this awesome sign all lit up.  #keeptheneon

    • Jeff July 22, 2016 (8:43 pm)

      I am proud a that I have been involved in a major sign renovation for the COSeattle.

      Please realize the product we are providing will match the RED and is more durable than Glass NEON.

      My role in this project was very deep. I hope you enjoy the new lighting system and understand the maintenance with the NEW LED will be favorable vs GLASS NEON.

      We are also saving watts to assist in becoming the GREENEST CITY IN AMERICA.

      In addition to all of this we will have an opportunity to change the color of the letters – occasionally – red white blue for special holidays – green blue for Shawks, etc.

      Please realize I will do my best to maintain the historical aspect of this iconic sign.

    • Jeff August 4, 2016 (4:21 pm)

      LOOK TONIGHT IT SHOULD BE ON AGAIN – JUST FINISHED UP PROGRAMMING TODAY.

  • dsa July 22, 2016 (1:18 pm)

    More top down stuff.

    • Joe Szilagyi July 22, 2016 (3:32 pm)

      I hope you’re joking… 

      • Jeff July 22, 2016 (8:40 pm)

        I am proud a that I have been involved in a major sign renovation for the COSeattle.

        Please realize the product we are providing will match the RED and is more durable than Glass NEON.

        My role in this project was very deep. I hope you enjoy the new lighting system and understand the maintenance with the NEW LED will be favorable vs GLASS NEON.

        We are also saving watts to assist in becoming the GREENEST CITY IN AMERICA.

        In addition to all of this we will have an opportunity to change the color of the letters – occasionally – red white blue for special holidays – green blue for Shawks, etc.

        Please realize I will do my best to maintain the historical aspect of this iconic sign.

  • B July 22, 2016 (1:21 pm)

    It’s an unnecessary sign that costs more than it should due to the neon lighting, not sure why you’d be upset about the change. 

  • sam-c July 22, 2016 (1:47 pm)

    Aw man, bummer. I love that sign

  • LarryB July 22, 2016 (2:00 pm)

    All in all it’s not a material cost. Fake neon looks like fake neon. Boo.

    • Jeff July 22, 2016 (8:41 pm)

      I am proud a that I have been involved in a major sign renovation for the COSeattle.

      Please realize the product we are providing will match the RED and is more durable than Glass NEON.

      My role in this project was very deep. I hope you enjoy the new lighting system and understand the maintenance with the NEW LED will be favorable vs GLASS NEON.

      We are also saving watts to assist in becoming the GREENEST CITY IN AMERICA.

      In addition to all of this we will have an opportunity to change the color of the letters – occasionally – red white blue for special holidays – green blue for Shawks, etc.

      Please realize I will do my best to maintain the historical aspect of this iconic sign.

  • WGA July 22, 2016 (2:04 pm)

    The sign will still be lit and the LED lights will save energy.

    However, instead of a continuous line of neon, the lighting will look like a string of individual pin points of light. It will be interesting to see if and how they pull it off to look like the original continuous look

    • Question Mark July 22, 2016 (5:34 pm)

      Have you seen the new filament LED bulbs? Very effective for an old fashioned filament look.

      On a larger scale, you can now buy fluorescent replacement bulbs that use LED technology, which uses tubes more like neon tubes. 

      There are also LED flat square or rectangular panels that can be mounted on walls as well as ceilings. Lots of cool LED lighting designs will emerge, no doubt.

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zjw2UXVJaS0&t=13m50s

    • Jeff July 22, 2016 (8:39 pm)

      I was involved in the mock up.  This product looks as close to neon as any others  I have seen in my 25 years in the industry.  Trust me.

      • WGA July 22, 2016 (9:32 pm)

        LED has come a long way in just the past few years!

  • Ricky Courtney July 22, 2016 (2:05 pm)

    For clarity… even though the sign is going to “lose its neon” … it’s still going to be lit up. 

    In the article, it states that the neon will be replaced by “LED rope lighting” that will “save energy and save money while maintaining the historical look of the signs.

  • Gene July 22, 2016 (2:13 pm)

    I get the reasons for the change- but I also think it’s ok to be a  bit upset to see these signs- which – for me – have been there all my life- go. Maybe chalk it up to nostalgia? 

  • Brian July 22, 2016 (2:15 pm)

    The signs literally aren’t going anywhere though? How is this that confusing to you? You’ll still be able to see the signs, the lighting will just look a little bit different.   

  • AIDM July 22, 2016 (2:28 pm)

    They are going to replace an historic, power guzzling sign with a energy conscious sign and they think this is better for the environment, etc.  But, they will likely give the energy guzzling sign to a museum (MOHAI) or other organization who will power the sign to display it to the public.  Thus more power will be consumed in powering both signs, more materials will be used in constructing the second sign, and the historic sign will no longer be viewable in its natural setting, but instead inside a museum. 

  • coffee July 22, 2016 (3:18 pm)

    LED Rope lights, BARFO.  BAD Move City Light.  Oh wait, they are on a roll with bad moves lately….

  • asd July 22, 2016 (3:33 pm)

    Next your going to tell me that the Food Giant sign is coming down or that the great R will become some poor approximation of itself.

  • Jeanne July 22, 2016 (3:40 pm)

    What do they plan to do with the old sign?? 

  • Rick Sanchez July 22, 2016 (3:52 pm)

    AIDM: If they were going to do that, the new signs would go up as they took the old ones down, rather than a two week delay.  Sounds pretty clear to me from the press release that they’re ripping the tubes and transformers out and putting LED lights on the existing structure.  

    And properly designed LED rope lights do an excellent job of mimicking traditional neon; I’m not sure where all this outrage is coming from.  Seems like a no brainer to me.

  • old timer July 22, 2016 (4:17 pm)

    So, before it can become an historical artifact, they will destroy it?

    Our own Taliban.

    Thanks City Light.

    • WSB July 22, 2016 (4:29 pm)

      The sign itself isn’t coming down. The neon is coming out and being replaced with LED tubing. Red. I’m quadruple-verifying this with City Light but the story seemed pretty clear to me. It WILL look different – LEDs compared to neon – but the silhouette will be the same. (Added) From City Light spokesperson Scott Thomsen: “Correct. The signs are not being removed. We are upgrading the lighting from neon to LED ropes. The Lighting Design Lab did testing to color match the current color.”

      • Misleading headline July 22, 2016 (6:22 pm)

        If you didn’t want your readers to be confused, you probably should have chosen a more appropriate headline. Maybe something like “Iconic sign to modernize to LED lighting” would have been much more informative/accurate. 

    • B July 22, 2016 (6:34 pm)

      Is SCL going to blow up the sign? Pretty crazy to compare them to the Taliban if not. 

      It’s just a bloody sign. It’s not historical other than that it’s been there a long time; I don’t think it’s an example of any kind of exemplary architecture, etc. 

      As a taxpayer, I’m more concerned as to why they’re even bothering to replace the lights; just take the dang thing down, don’t waste any more money. 

      • Neighbor July 23, 2016 (7:46 am)

        As a taxpayer, this isn’t your concern, as City Light is a self-supporting and tax-paying entity. It is not subsidized.  As a ratepayer, you may choose to be concerned, but it’s really not something to get too worked up about. I think it’s a cool sign. I’m glad they are modernizing it.

        By the way, before it was neon, it was incandescent light bulbs. 

        • Jeff August 4, 2016 (4:22 pm)

          FIRST NIGHT TONIGHT.  HOLIDAYS WE WILL BE ABLE TO CHANGE COLORS.  TAKE A PIC FOR ME PLEASE

  • they July 22, 2016 (4:38 pm)

    I thought years ago the lights were green, the reason I remember is back than so many of the bars were not working… Always thought that to be strange for a power company.

  • dsa July 22, 2016 (8:56 pm)

    Yes, I think they were green.  I don’t know where to look for an old picture, but green would look fantastic again.

  • bolo July 22, 2016 (11:23 pm)

    Didn’t there used to be a blue neon natural gas flame near there also?

    • Jafco shopper July 23, 2016 (7:29 am)

      The natural gas flame sign was in South Lake Union at the old Puget Sound Energy (formerly Washington Natural Gas) building.

  • KBear July 23, 2016 (7:47 am)

    Are people too lazy to read the article, or are their reading comprehension skills that bad? If City Light hadn’t announced anything most people probably wouldn’t notice the change. 

  • Neighbor July 23, 2016 (8:18 am)

    The blue flame is (I believe) on display at MOHAI. 

    Speaking of the MOHAI and City Light, what I want City Light to do is find a public place for that spectacular mural that was in front of their space-age building on Third Avenue (which, after an unfortunate facelift, is now the Expeditors International building) That was the coolest thing in Seattle. 

Sorry, comment time is over.