Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
SALT LAKE CITY — If you’re surprised to see a new sign atop the Rio Grande building downtown, you’re not alone.
About a dozen people stood outside the building to watch as crews hoisted the new two-sided sign atop the historic building Friday morning. The process of replacing the sign was completed about one month ahead of when state officials expected it would.
“They were hoping around Oct. 16 to get it (the new sign) up,” said Josh Loftin, spokesman for the Utah Department of Heritage and Arts, as crews worked to install the large sign behind him. “But they got it done, and we found out late last week that they were bringing the sign out this week and putting it up. … It moved quickly, which is good.”
The new sign came in on Wednesday. It will be lit up for the first time on Friday evening.
The old sign, which had been on top of the building since the late 1950s, came down on Aug. 12. State officials decided the sign needed to be replaced due to safety concerns and the difficulty to repair it. After the sign was removed, it was used as a stencil for the new sign, so it has the same design as before.
There will be a few changes Utahns may notice. First, it’s two-sided, so people can see the sign from the east and the west. It's also LED instead of the old neon sign, and it should be a little more yellow than the old sign was. Loftin said they believe the color of the sign matches what the old sign looked like when it was first installed six decades ago. That color had faded over time.
“It’ll still shine over the east in downtown Salt Lake, but it’ll also welcome people coming into the city from the west off the interstate and transit hub,” he said. “It also bridges east side and west side. We’re excited.”
The whole project cost about $250,000, according to state officials.
For fans of the historic old sign, have no fear. State officials have been in communication with various historic railroad organizations to find a new home for it, Loftin said. He said it will likely end up on display somewhere in the state for people to still enjoy.
“It’ll be preserved somewhere, and it’ll still be available for people to see,” he said. “It won’t disappear.”
