If you are passing by the Auburn Avenue Theater at 10 Auburn Avenue, look up and you’ll see something interesting – a new marquee.

The new replaces the original damaged sign city workers removed July 10.

Jim Kleinbeck, Auburn Avenue Theater operations coordinator, said the city contracted with Fife-based Sign Tech Electric to design and build the sign. At the city’s request, sign-makers incorporated elements of the original design into the new.

Rob Roscoe, risk manager for the City of Auburn, told the Auburn Reporter in July that the sign had sustained damage several times in the past, but that the accident of Nov. 17, 2007 delivered the coup de grace.

“A catering truck got stuck underneath the sign and damaged it beyond repair,” Roscoe said. “We let the air out of the tires, but there was a tear on one of the structural frames.”

While Sign Tech was designing and building the sign, the city put up a temporary banner to keep people apprised of what was happening at the city-leased theater.

The catering company’s insurance carrier, which is responsible for fair market value only, and the city’s insurance pool split the $43,000 bill.

“It took awhile to get a new one commissioned,” Kleinbeck said. “When we were getting ready to do it, we decided the new letters needed to be based on the old. So, we had to go back to the drawing board.”

Sign Tech was at the site Wednesday, Thursday and Friday of last week, installing first the sign cabinet, then the upper portion of the sign and finally hooking it up to electricity and flipping the switch.

Auburn residents looked and gave the thumbs up.

“A guy rolled down his window and said ‘looks great,’ said Kleinbeck. “I was standing out there talking to people, and they had their cameras and cell phones out, taking pictures.”

The first show advertised was Kids School House Rock.