Kahler Grand Hotel to restore its iconic downtown Rochester sign

ROCHESTER — After months of waiting, the Kahler Grand Hotel in downtown Rochester is getting ready to unveil its new sign — which looks a lot like the old one.

The Kahler Hospitality Group announced Tuesday the iconic downtown sign will be restored to its original design after it was taken down earlier this year as part of ongoing renovations. Instead of aging neon, the sign will be made using LED lights. The restoration is expected to be finished in October.

"We're doing it in a way that will match the historic sign that the city of Rochester has come to love," said Matt Williams, a vice president with Red Pine Capital Management. The Rochester firm advises the Kahler group.

The sign work is part of a massive four-year renovation project at the 600-room hotel, which includes multiple conference rooms.

The hotel was built in 1921, and its iconic sign was put up in about 1971, with the sign renovated in the '80s. Yet, the old neon letters, each more than 10 feet tall, had reached the end of their lives, according to the Kahler group. The group said the letters and metal mesh were rusted beyond repair, while electric components had degraded to the point that any moisture would cause the lights to malfunction.

The Kahler group considered several options, including taking the sign down altogether or putting up a modernized sign on the side of the building. Officials say it will cost about $500,000 to restore the sign.

Javon D. Bea, a board representative for the Kahler group, said in a statement that hotel officials felt the sign was too significant to Rochester's history to be left out.

"As a company, we felt a sense of duty to rejuvenate the sign," he said.

The new and improved sign will still glow red, but hotel officials may change the sign's colors to match city celebrations in the future.

"Our plan is to have the sign complement what's going on," Williams said.