VIDEO: New Sign Goes Up for Main Street Business

Co. 512 on Main Street in Royal Oak installed a new sign on Wednesday afternoon. 

A crew from the Embree Sign Company of St. Clair Shores spent the better part of the morning and afternoon installing the 4-feet by 10-feet projecting sign on the 2-story building at 512 N. Main. The sign is about 13 feet off the ground.

Designer Cindy Romano, of Graphics by Cindy Romano, Inc. of Royal Oak, designed the sign to look like a sales tag.

"The sign will have red neon and have a halo look at night," Dave Embree said. "It's going to be pretty cool."

Royal Oak resident John Wangler went before the Planning Commission in August to ask for a variance to have a projecting sign. A projecting sign is defined as one that has its copy area oriented perpendicular to the building wall supporting it; or secondly, a sign, any part of which extends more than 12 inches from the building wall, according to the Royal Oak sign ordinance.

Wangler told planning commissioner he essentially gutted the 1919 building that was previously home to the Royal Music Center from 1957 to 2009.

"We've really spared no expense to get this (building) up and running," Wangler said in August. "I think based on seeing where we are at, we really would like to have a two-sided lighted sign to really draw attention and highlight what we're trying to do there."

Planning commissioners gave their approval. 

Wangler plans to use part of the of the building to sell Reebok and Addias apparel and footwear. He'll also run Top Cat Sales, a separate division that provides products such as custom team uniforms, training apparel, footwear and accessories, at the same location. 

Former music lesson rooms were demolished to squeeze in more parking. The second story is being converted into two lofts - each 1,200 square feet. A third unit will serve as a studio for the owners.

Co. 512 is set to open its doors at the end of November.

Wangler's neighbor to the south, Hamlin Corner, also received a variance to install a projecting sign. Hamlin's sign went up in May.

Correction: Cindy Romano designed the Co. 512 sign.