Moving a business can be a challenging project that takes planning, timing and yes, even a little bit of luck to make it all happen without much of a hitch. Unfortunately, it’s not as simple as just packing everything up and moving down the street. Recently, we helped a customer relocate from the suburbs into the city. Our responsibility was to remove the lighted channel letter raceway sign and remove the company’s awnings from the current location and reinstall the sign at the new store.
Realizing the destination is Chicago, one needs to understand the permitting process and the timing it takes to work your way through it. To top it all off, it was the middle of the winter and it presented us with some challenges. This added to the complexity of the project, but with proper planning we were very fortunate to avoid many of those potential issues.
Removal of Signs and Awnings
Here’s where a little luck comes in. Removing a sign in the dead of winter is challenging in Chicago. Fighting the cold weather with potential storms in the forecast along with obstacles of accumulated snow could impede our progress. We lucked out that week as most of the snow had melted and although it was cold out we were able to remove the sign quickly with a little bit of help from Cody who showed up with his bucket truck. We disconnected the electrical power from the sign and removed the hardware. It was smooth sailing after that with loading it up into our truck and having it stored until the permitting was approved through the city. The awnings were next to go, as Gary and Sylvia teamed up and moved quickly to remove the material from the framing. First, the back entrance and then the front one. We left the site soon after. The empty store was not recognizable, all the branding and identifying markers were gone…and that’s exactly what we wanted.
We then started the process of applying for a permit in the city of Chicago.
This can be a frustrating and time consuming project. Time spent downtown can seem like an eternity just to file the permit. We filed for the permit at the end of March with the anticipated 6-8 week window for approval. Here’s where some additional luck comes in as you never can be sure how quickly or slowly you will get through the permitting process. We were fortune. We received a completed permit and approval in 7 weeks. Final review came first, Zoning followed 4 weeks later and then Electrical came through. Final install was scheduled for 2 weeks post permitting.
When install day came, it was a relief to all parties. Everything was completed, permits were in hand and the sign was cleaned and ready to go. The electrical was all in place and Russ installed the sign. The building was transformed into the new “WINESTYLES”. Although it looked good during the day, that evening it looked fantastic as it was illuminated. That’s what made it all worthwhile. That and the smile on the owner’s face.
If your business is relocating and you need your sign moved, we can help. We are also prepared to help with rebranding for your new facility. We are always happy to give you a free quote. Contact us by calling 312 – IMPRESS. You can also email us or visit our website. Let us help you “Capture Attention”.
