LONG ISLAND CITY — The glowing Pepsi Cola sign that's overlooked the neighborhood's waterfront for decades is now a city landmark, officials said Tuesday.
The Landmarks Preservation Commission voted in favor of landmark designation, calling the sign one of "the most recognizable features" on the waterfront, and among the few remaining vestiges of a time when illuminated signs liked it adorned factories and warehouses across the city.
"Its prominent siting and its frequent appearances in pop culture have made it one of the most endearing and recognizable icons on the Queens waterfront," LPC Chair Meenakshi Srinivasan said in a statement.
The sign is one of dozens of sites across the city that were part of a LPC's massive "backlog," and had been under consideration for years but never voted on.
Built in 1940, the 60-foot sign was first erected atop one of the soda company's bottling facilities, according to the LPC.
It was moved a short distance away in 2001 after the Pepsi plant was torn down, and today is located in front of a high-rise apartment building near Center Boulevard and 46th Avenue overlooking Gantry Plaza State Park.
