JetBlue wants to light up the New York skyline with its iconic blue logo — but it must first clear layers of city red tape before taking off.
The airline, which will move its corporate headquarters to Long Island City next month, plans to erect a 40-foot lighted sign on the rooftop of its new building at 27-01 Queens Plaza North.
“When complete, it will be easily seen from the east side of Manhattan across the river,” JetBlue said.
But JetBlue’s proposal must be reviewed and approved by two community boards, the borough president, the City Planning Commission, the City Council and mayor.
“It’s quite the process,” said JetBlue spokesman Bryan Baldwin.
“We want to abide by the process that’s in place to be a good corporate citizen. That’s important to us.”
And community leaders take these things seriously.
Board 2, while backing JetBlue’s sign request, voted against the zoning resolution anyway, claiming it would allow more signs and billboards to be erected atop other buildings in Queens Plaza without its review.
“We don’t want the honky-tonk look,” said Board 2 Chairman Joseph Conley.
Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer, who represents the LIC area, gave JetBlue his full endorsement.
“I support the deal that brings JetBlue and its employees to Long Island City. I will support JetBlue’s zoning amendment in the City Council. JetBlue is a great get,” he said.
Van Bramer said the airline sign will put its mark on the skyline, much like the sign atop Silvercup Studios and the Pepsi-Cola sign. “We welcome the sign. It will be iconic,” he said.
About 1,000 workers will relocate six miles from Forest Hills to LIC in March and April.
JetBlue reached a deal with the city in 2010 to move to LIC after threatening to relocate to Florida.
The new headquarters will be in the Brewster Building, a 1911 structure with an industrial pedigree: It’s an old Rolls-Royce factory and a place where military planes were produced during World War II.
JetBlue’s Baldwin said the airline is thrilled to move into to an “industrial-hip” neighborhood in transition that’s just a stone’s throw from the 59th Street Bridge and Manhattan. He said LIC reminds him of JetBlue when it first opened 10 years ago as New York’s scrappy hometown airline.
