Accident removes old one; new one soon to replace it

People passing by the Auburn Avenue Theater in recent days might have looked up and noticed something fairly big and important missing – the marquee.

City officials said the old marquee came down July 10, the result of an accident eight months earlier.

“On Nov. 17, 2007, a catering truck got stuck underneath the marquee and damaged it,” said Rob Roscoe, the city risk manager. “It couldn’t be repaired, and we have had to replace it.”

The city has since contracted with Sign Tech Electric in Auburn to design and build the new marquee, a process expected to take another seven weeks.

Roscoe said elements of the original design would be incorporated into the new marquee.

In the interim, the city expects to put up a temporary banner.

Roscoe said the sign has been damaged several times in the past, but this accident delivered the coup de grace.

“This time it was not hit, but the catering truck that had parked in the yellow area in front of the theater got stuck underneath,” Roscoe said. “We let the air out of the tires, but there was a tear on one of the structural frames.”

As of mid-week the city did not know exactly how much the new sign would cost, but rough estimates put the bill roughly at $47,500. The cost will be split between the catering company’s insurance company, which is responsibly for fair market value only, and the city’s insurance pool.

Mayor Pete Lewis said the city is contemplating cleaning the building’s brick face in the absence of the marquee but must first discern if the nearly century old brick could take the stress.