Historic Resources Commission approves projecting sign for Albany Capital Center after debate over internal illumination

Albany City’s Historic Resources Commission voted to approve a projecting (blade) sign for the Albany Capital Center’s State Street frontage after members weighed visibility benefits, mounting details and whether the internally illuminated design should be allowed.

Tom Wheeler of AJ Sign Company described the proposal as an aluminum-faced projecting sign with letters cut into the face and half-inch acrylic pushed through so “only the letters illuminate. It’s not a light box. It’s a…classier, softer lighting than a light box would be,” he said. Brandon Stapler, the development consultant for the project, said the sign is proposed at about 11 feet tall — smaller than a 15-foot projecting sign previously approved for the…