Courier Article - "Sign Points to a New Restaurant"
WATERLOO - A missing downtown sign is a sure sign a renovation project of the former Newton's Jewelry store is well under way.
Newton's iconic neon sign was removed from the building at 128 E. Fourth St. for remodeling last week. The sign will be restored as part of a renovation project to turn the historic building into a restaurant. The second floor of the building will be converted into two apartments.
The neon lights will be restored, and a motor that rotated the sign will be replaced. The three-sided sign will say "Newton's Paradise Cafe" with one word on each side.
"It will look similar to the original sign," said Jim Walsh, building owner.
While most historic preservation projects cost more than building something new, Mason Fromm of Signs and Designs said the cost to refit the sign will be less expensive than building something that large from scratch.
"Building a frame that size would cost more," Fromm said. "Structurally, this sign is in reasonable shape."
Still, renovating the old sign isn't cheap. The work will cost more than $40,000, Walsh estimated.
Walsh received a $50,000 grant for exterior renovations on the Newton's project. Preserving the historic art deco look of the building has already claimed that money a few times over, he said.
Fromm's business has created a number of downtown signs in Cedar Falls and Waterloo, but few projects involve renovating an existing sign. Old buildings may get reused, but the businesses and their names often change over time.
"It's quite rare that we can have such an icon that can be refurbished," he said.
Walsh said he considered trying to turn some of the existing neon signs that adorned the side of the store into signs he could use for the new business. However when he was unable to come up with ways to turn "watches" into "waffles," the old signs were put into storage.
Walsh hopes to have the exterior complete in time for My Waterloo Days the first week of June. That gives Fromm and his staff a May 30 deadline.
"We're sweating just a little bit," he said.