After intense public backlash, the owner of the building on which the Kentile Floors sign sits has agreed to turn the iconic sign over to the Gowanus Alliance so that they can do whatever they want and leave him alone reinstall it somewhere else in the neighborhood.
After news broke last week that 111 Ninth Street owner Elyahu Cohen had obtained permits to demolish the sign the reaction from the community was swift and furious. Gowanus' City Councilmember Brad Lander led the charge to Save The Sign, issuing a statement that Cohen was "making a big mistake," circulating a petition, and staging a rally. Lander tells the Times that he met with Cohen on Tuesday and Cohen explained why the cost of making the necessary repairs to the sign would be prohibitive, so both parties seem pretty okay with this outcome — Cohen will have to spend a little extra making sure the sign isn't too damaged during its disassembling, and Lander can brag that he stopped a historic New York City artifact from being destroyed entirely. A new location for the sign has yet to be determined, and we can't wait to see what kinds of controversies arise from that.
· Kentile Floors Sign, a Stalwart Remnant of a Grittier Brooklyn, Will Get a New Home [NYT]
· Kentile Floors Sign coverage [Curbed]
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