El Cortez Rooftop Sign to Change, Add Street Level Signs

by Mike Van Houten / Jun 12, 2015

Historic Resources Commission meeting re-cap:

1. YESCO lighting is working on a new 'modified' version of the rooftop El Cortez sign that will read 'Siegel's El Cortez.'

2. Retail street-level signage will be similar to the old historic retail signs. Retail tenants at the El Cortez weren't fond of the font proposed, and the HRC proposed several fonts that would work better, and Siegel Group is supposed to make some modifications.

Not surprisingly, my sources said some of the peeps in the meeting weren't happy about Siegel Group modifying a rooftop sign. Others were happy that the sign was going to finally be lit, even if it was modified a bit to flash the Siegel brand.They are afraid people will be confused by the hotel sign since it's not a hotel anymore.

Only a few hours after the HRC Meeting, I was invited on Facebook to 'Like' the Light-Up-El-Cortez fan page, which also contained recent posts regarding the future of El Cortez's rooftop sign. There's definitely a mobilization going on to try to convince Siegel to save the original sign.

What are your thoughts? Are you in "Camp Save-The-Original" or are you in "Camp The-Mods-Are-Ok?"

Discussion about the window replacements on El Cortez was delayed until the next meeting.

This all comes back to the next meting July 9.

Post your comments
  • June 12, 2015 - 7:04:46 AM

    Leave it and light it up. That sign is one of the reasons I bought the unit I did at the Montage. Imagine my disappointment when I moved in and discovered they no longer lit it up.

  • June 12, 2015 - 9:09:02 AM

    I'm in Camp Light it up and make the changes proposed I like how they want to keep the original feel of this historic building and modernize it a bit Either way, definitely light it up

  • June 12, 2015 - 3:44:44 PM

    I'm in Camp "Mods are OK, but naming everything after yourself is tacky."

  • June 12, 2015 - 7:06:02 PM

    For as much crap I fling Siegel's way and the total ass hat I believe him to be, I vote let him have his way on this one. As long as the "Siegel's" is visually and typographically different from "El Cortez" I can live with it. Though I totally agree with geopower on the ego thang. And I'll go totally heretic on the Preservationist - I don't really have a problem with the Milgard slider replacement windows, either. The windows are never mentioned anywhere in the Historic Register filings, and they need to be replaced at a reasonable cost for energy efficiency. Just don't add cheesy plastic grilles to try to mimic the existing (which I think will be the HRC's "compromise").

  • June 13, 2015 - 10:59:29 AM

    Please leave it as it is. Is he so ego centric that it has to bare his name on a long standing iconic building in our city? Please.BJOGYF

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