Level II: 500 S. Gay Street Rooftop Sign
5-A-25-DT
Applicant Request
Level II: Sign- Installation of new, non-illuminated sign face on an existing 69'-1" wide by 8'-2" tall roof sign. The sign is located on the rear elevation of the building, facing State Street, and is visible from State Street and James White Parkway; it is not visible to pedestrians on Gay Street.
Property Notes / Work to be Completed
- 500 S. Gay Street is a contributing resource to the Gay Street Commercial Historic District. New rooftop signs are prohibited by the City sign code and are not listed as recommended sign types in the Historic Resources section of the design guidelines. The sign has been deemed an abandoned non-conforming sign, which may be re-faced within a certain time window. The proposed sign is approximately 565 sq. ft, featuring a flat acrylic facing that will cover the entire sign area. Photos of the sign frame itself indicate a border around the flat sign area, which appears to be proposed to be wrapped in the new sign facing.
- The design guidelines do not include guidance for signage on the rear of buildings. There are also no guidelines for rooftop signs, since they are not typically permitted. When reviewing the new Hyatt Place sign on the rear of the Farragut Building (6-F-16-DT), the review discussed how historically signs on the rear elevation of buildings were usually painted and non-illuminated. Regarding the Cook Lofts wall sign at 702 S. Gay St (4-A-15-DT), the review notes that guidelines for the Promenade District allow for rear-facing signs with specific size, location, and illumination standards, and the Promenade standards could be used to discuss the proposal if the Board determines the two locations have similar characteristics.
- Both reviews discussed size. The Hyatt Place sign is approximately 273 square feet (4'-8" tall by 57' wide), which was then noted to be the largest of similarly-placed rear elevation/roofline signs (with Marble Alley Lofts at 270 sq. ft. and Downtown Grill and Brewery at 178 sq. ft.). The Promenade guidelines recommend that signs be no taller than 5 feet and not over 60 sq. ft. (with specific location criteria on the Promenade structure itself). The proposed new sign is 565 sq. ft. Based on the building's location (on the same block as the Farragut Building/Hyatt Place sign, and adjacent to the Promenade block), historic designation, and major visibility of the rooftop sign structure, the new sign facing to be installed should be reduced in size, not to exceed the 273 sq. ft. of the existing Hyatt Place sign, and to be contained within the existing sign border instead of wrapping the overall sign structure.
- While sign content is not within the purview of the DRB, an alternate design would benefit the overall block and character of downtown. The sign has existed since at least 1969 and has been blank since at least 2007. Photographs from the late 1950s, early 1970s, and the NRHP nomination in 1983 depict the sign, which featured painted text similar to painted wall signs in the area. Design guidelines recommend that "advertising signs should be effective and appropriate to historic areas without contributing to visual clutter." Incorporating the style of historic painted wall signs would greatly contribute to the historic district and building.
Applicable Guidelines
Downtown Design Guidelines
See Guidelines- C. Historic Resources
- 7. Recommended Signs
- 7a. Locate signs above storefront windows, below second-story windows on the sign board, or on the storefront windows themselves (30% is maximum coverage), or off the front of the building as a projecting sign (maximum size: 9 square feet).
- 7b. Create signs that are proportional to the building where they are located.
- 7c. Do not light signs internally.
- 7d. Allow painted signs on building walls in the warehouse area along Jackson Avenue, and in some other locations along Gay Street.
- 7e. Preserve signs that are historic elements of buildings.
- C. Historic Resources
Meeting Date
May 21, 2025
500 S. Gay Street rooftop sign
500 S. Gay St. 37902
DK-H (Downtown Knoxville, Historic)
Applicant
