It’s not clear yet who is to blame. But one thing is certain: The “Made in Oregon” sign is no longer glowing above the Willamette River.
Ramsay Signs, the neon billboard’s owner, has turned it off. And that’s not the worst of it, if you happen to be among the sign’s fans. “It looks like it may have to be removed,” says Darryl Paulsen, president of Ramsay Signs.
When last we left the sign saga, the University of Oregon had decided to end its lease on the sign. That decision came in September at a meeting with Mayor Sam Adams.
The university — which had gotten into a flap with Commissioner Randy Leonard six months earlier — agreed in April to maintain the sign in exchange for parking next to the school’s Portland campus, which is next to the west end of the Burnside Bridge.
Although the university had wanted to change the iconic sign to market UO in Portland, it instead agreed in its April compromise with Leonard to sponsor a sign that said “Oregon,” not “University of Oregon.”
But Mercy Corps, whose new headquarters are on the other side of the parking lot, balked at the parking arrangement, which was part of the university’s safety strategy for students. In response, the mayor undid what Leonard promised UO. He separated the sign deal from the parking deal and asked the university and Mercy Corps to share the lot.
Ramsay Signs was then, apparently, free to find a new owner for the sign, which costs almost $20,000 a year to maintain.
Now Paulsen says Venerable Properties, which owns the White Stag building on which the sign sits, is preventing Ramsay Signs from getting a new sponsor. As a result, the company turned off the sign last week. Art DeMuro of Venerable Properties was not immediately available for comment.
“We were willing to keep it lit,” Paulsen says. “We were going to keep the perimeter lit as well as the reindeer. But along with that we wanted the right to go out and find a new lease.”
If they’re not able to do that, the company may have to move the sign, Paulsen says.
Ascribing blame in this scenario is no easy task. Paulsen says the city is responsible for the mess since it tried to control the sign’s message after the university said it wanted to put its name in neon. “The city can’t control the content of the sign, and they knew it,” Paulsen says.
But Paulsen also has harsh words for the university, which he says owes Ramsay $100,000 for design and permit fees. After this saga started, of course, UO got a new president. “I think it’s unfortunate the university had to string us along only to have a change of heart,” he says.
Julie Brown, a spokeswoman for the university, was not aware of the financial aspects of the university’s deal with Ramsay. (We’ll update the post when she has a response.)
Ty Kovatch, Leonard’s chief of staff, says talks about the sign’s future are continuing, but he would not elaborate. “Stay tuned,” Kovatch says. “I’m confident it will work out one way or the other.”
Update at 4:30 pm: Art DeMuro, whose Venerable Properties owns the rooftop lease at the UO’s White Stag building, says he wants to donate that lease to the City of Portland. But he also wants Ramsay Signs to donate the sign to the city. “I am dead set against the continued commercialization of the sign,” DeMuro says. “It belongs in the public domain.”
The mayor’s office today said Leonard is in charge of negotiations now; Leonard is scheduled to meet with UO tomorrow.
- Made in Oregon’s “Public Option” Two weeks
- “Made in Oregon” Saga Sounds Its Death Rattle. In respon
- Big Change Proposed to “Made in Oregon” Sign Ramsay Si
- Unmade in Oregon: Will the Neon Lights Live On? (Updated) The compr
- Updated: Landmarks Commission Rejects “Made in Oregon” Proposal The city
Tags: Made in Oregon sign, Oregon, Randy Leonard, Sam Adams, University of Oregon
let’s put things into perspective here: it’s a sign, the sort of thing that if it were a Clear Channel billboard would never have been allowed to perch atop that building to begin with. Other than looking cool it’s not bringing in tourists money, or supplying us with much-needed job, and sure as hell isn’t keeping the rich from moving across the Columbia. How about we let the precious sign go, and figure out how to get Oregonians back to work and how to rescue our ailing educational system?
Modify the sign so that the winner of the Civil Ware football game gets their name in lights for a year. Just need to get the two universities to chip in for maint. expenses each year.
Maybe something like ‘Made in/at Oregon Logo/OSU logo’
Where are all the citizens who whined about the U of O leasing the sign and changing it?
You’re about to loose your precious sign, cough up some dough and bring it back, otherwise the rest of us don’t want to listen to you whine about it.
Yo everyone -
Portland State University. F
orget the Ducks & Beavers. This is Portland – not Eugene or Corvallis.
Adams and Leonard,
We don’t give a S**T about the sign. Why don’t you two Bozos do something good for the City instead of concentrating on this monkey business.
“The mayor’s office today said Leonard is in charge of negotiations now; Leonard is scheduled to meet with UO tomorrow.”
Oh, thank god. I was beginning to worry this story was losing its entertainment value.
I’ve lived in Portland all of my 49 years if I had the money I would step up to the plate. I saw a sign idea somebody had to keep the deer and have it say Portland City Of Roses it was very well done. That’s what I would Love to see done is somebody to step up to the plate and do the right thing. There’s been alot of great idea’s but being a true native to this wonderful city of ours That makes the most since. Please can somebody just do the right thing. Hellooooo ” City Of Roses Here “
Why can’t the sign be left alone?
Wasn’t U of O Made in Oregon?
P.S.
Sam Adams is a sellout.
[...] deal with Merritt Paulson to bring Major League Soccer to PGE Park, the go-to-guy on the “Made in Oregon” sign debate, prime mover behind the leasing of McCall’s Waterfront Cafe, champion of the Loo and all [...]
Nice job……..UO fascists! http://www.youtube.com/luddite333
[...] this be the final revenge of Commissioner Randy Leonard, the Portland State University alum who isn’t exactly chummy with UO when it comes to questions about what lights up Portland nights? Naaah. But I’ll bet [...]
[...] weeks ago, WW first reported the “Made in Oregon” sign had been turned off owing to a dispute among city officials, the University of Oregon, the owner of the White Stag [...]