Despite the news that the Kentile Floors sign will in fact come down, yesterday turned out to be a red-letter day for the red-lettered sign.
The Gowanus Alliance will have the opportunity to find a new home nearby for the longtime fixture for F train riders, thanks to a donation from the owner. The deal comes after City Council member Brad Lander stepped in to save the sign, the New York Times reported.
Alarm bells started ringing last week when scaffolding went up around the rooftop icon at 2nd Avenue and 9th Street in Gowanus. At the time, the New York Daily News had little success getting answers from anyone associated with the building.
Owner Elyahu Cohen met with Lander on Tuesday, at which point Cohen disclosed said that it was not worth his while to preserve the sign, which was beginning to rust and deteriorate, according to the Times. Now, the next step is to secure a contractor to cut down the famed 20-foot letters before removing them from the rooftop of 111 9th Street. [NYT] — Tom DiChristopher