JetBlue Adds Name To LIC's Landmarked Pepsi-Cola Sign

LONG ISLAND CITY, QUEENS — The iconic neon Pepsi-Cola sign along the East River in Queens has a new, though temporary, neighbor: the JetBlue logo.

The JetBlue signage started going up this week, just days after the Landmarks Preservation Committee gave the installation its stamp of approval, according to the Wall Street Journal.

It will stick around until Oct. 1 to advertise a new partnership between the two companies.

Locals were quick to notice the change, and they haven't been shy about expressing their disapproval.

"Even though it's temporary, it's unsettling, as the door has been opened. Not happy. No one wants this," one New Yorker tweeted.

Some even reached out to City Council Member Jimmy Van Bramer to ask if it was permanent, the Wall Street Journal reported.

"It’s a pretty significant change to a pretty visible, iconic sign," Van Bramer told the news outlet. "Even if it’s temporary, it shouldn’t be there."

The 50-foot sign in Queens' Gantry Plaza State Park won landmark status in 2016 after years on the Landmarks Preservation Commission's wait list. The designation protects the sign from any alteration, relocation and/or demolition without a permit.

PepsiCo and JetBlue, which has its headquarters in Long Island City, applied for a temporary installation permit in July, according to the Wall Street Journal.

"We know that people love the Pepsi-Cola sign in Long Island City," a spokesperson said in a statement on behalf of both companies.

"PepsiCo worked closely with Landmarks Preservation Commission, Queens West Development Corporation and Landmark Signs to make sure the integrity of the sign is carefully preserved throughout this initiative."

A spokesperson for the Landmarks Preservation Commission, which approved the permit on Aug. 14, said the change didn't require a public hearing or community approval because it is temporary.