Don’t worry our famous Public Market Center Clock & Sign® isn’t being removed or changing to a digital clock — it’s undergoing a restoration and preservation project.
Sign Clock,Public clock,Custom Sign Clock
The sign at the corner of Pike Street and Pike Place (and the backdrop to billions of Market photos) will be covered for the next five weeks as local contractor NOVO makes our sign sparkle like never before.
When the scaffolding comes off, NOVO owner Cole Palea says, “You will see the letters pop more in the daytime. The sign will look shiny!” So mark your calendars to come down and see the rejuvenated sign.
It’s been more than 15 years since our ionic Clock & Sign has been painted, so we say we’re about due for a little TLC.
We encourage Market visitors to snap a pic with our other sign at the intersection of Pike Place and Pine Street –or visit the Gum Wall, Secret Garden or MarketFront for a unique photo backdrop.
While it may be hard to believe, our Clock & Sign® has not always been there. The Market was open for 30 years before the Clock & Sign was erected in 1937. Now we can’t imagine the Market without it.
Over the next 5 weeks, locals and visitors can come down and capture this historic moment when our famous sign is covered
NOVO on this memorable project.
NOVO is a minority-owned painting company that has a history of working with landmark properties in Seattle, including the Seattle Art Museum, the Seattle Aquarium, and various maintenance projects around Pike Place Market, including restoring the Corner Market marquee in 2018.
“There’s a sense of ownership and pride happening on our team. The Market means a lot to us too. It’s not just another paint job for us,” Cole said while talking about the project’s numerous steps.
Not a Simple Project
Restoring the Public Market Center Clock & Sign® is not a simple project. Our sign is three stories tall, with fragile neon lights, and challengingly positioned on our roof! To top it all off, it’s historic and part of the cultural fabric of Seattle.
“When you are trying to preserve the look of the sign and its intricate markings, that part really needs to get mapped out and it’s hand done,” Cole said. “From the street, those details don’t look like much, but up close you can see them.”
A three-person team will work to tackle this job, including setting up, prepping, cleaning, painting, and removing the scaffolding. NOVO will use a direct to metal enamel paint to restore our Clock & Sign so it can withstand the hot summer sun, rain and sometimes snow for many years to come!
After more than ten days of work,The restoration and preservation of our famous Public Market Center Clock & Sign is finished. This week crews took down the three-story scaffolding that covered the clock and turned on the neon lights!