UPDATE: Crews removed the all nine letters in just 34 minutes. CLICK HERE FOR THE LATEST STORY.
After a failed attempt to remove huge letters from atop a Center City high-rise this summer, crews will be giving it a try again this Sunday.
Workers will be pulling down the remaining letters from the iconic Philadelphia National Bank sign at One South Broad Street starting at 6 a.m. Sunday, project manager Barbara Nate tells NBC10.
Nine letters — three P's, N's and B's — remain on three sides of the stone building's bell tower 28 stories above the sidewalk. Three other letters were removed on Aug. 17.
All 12 letters, each 16-feet tall and weighing 3,000 lbs., were supposed to be detached from the building that day and shuttled to the ground by helicopter. But after 7 hours and lots of frustration, the letters were only able to be removed from one side of the building.
The "PNB" letters have graced the Philadelphia skyline for the past 60 years. The sign was installed to signify the headquarters for the now-defunct Philadelphia National Bank.
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One South Broad was recently sold to New York-based Aion Partners, who decided to remove the signage.
Police will be shutting down several streets around the building for the removal project between 6 a.m. and 4 p.m. They are:
- 15th Street between Arch and Chestnut Streets
- North Broad Street between Arch Street and JFK Boulevard
- South Broad Street between S. Penn Square and Chestnut Street
- Market Street between 16th and 13th Streets
- Juniper Street between S. Penn Square and JFK Boulevard
Crews needed to obtain FAA and city approval to allow the helicopter to fly so low in the city, which is why the removal rescheduling did not happen right away.
