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Historic Pabst Bridal sign to keep neon look but switch to LED over accessibility objections
Summary
Milwaukee Historic Preservation Commission approved replacing the Pabst Bridal neon lighting with LED rope lighting, adding a condition requiring a color formula and noting the sign's inaccessibility as the basis for the decision despite staff and preservationist objections to removing historic neon.
The Milwaukee Historic Preservation Commission voted to allow the Pabst Bridal sign on North Tenth Street to be re-lit with LED rope lighting, with a condition that the LED color formula match the sign’s historic red as closely as possible and noting the sign’s limited accessibility as a unique circumstance.
The sign’s applicant, represented by Michael Kelly, chairman of the Pabst Brewery Neighborhood Improvement District (NID), asked the commission to permit Aurora Flex LED rope lighting to replace the sign’s historic neon and said the switch was aimed at keeping the sign lit more reliably. "This is the only option we found to make sure that the sign is lit 24/7, 365," Kelly said.
Staff recommended denying the LED replacement and retaining the neon. Historic Preservation staff argued the Pabst sign "rises to the level of being an iconic sign" in the city and quoted National Park…
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