The city of Tulsa long had promised the clocks that once sat on top of the historic Meadow Gold neon sign would be replaced “when funding becomes available.”
Apparently the money is in the bank. The Tulsa World reports bids to replace the clocks will come due this week.
The clocks stood at the very top of the panels and would have been visible for several blocks. But when the sign went into storage in 2004 to avoid the wrecking ball, the clocks were long gone. […]
“It will be noted that the clocks are not original, so nobody is deceived,” said Dennis Whitaker, a city planner and Tulsa’s resident Route 66 expert. “But if you can restore a historic landmark to its original look, that’s what you want to do.” […]
Officials also couldn’t say when the work will be finished, since that will also depend on the bids. But the end result will look like the original clocks, based on old photos and measurements taken from the scaffolding when the sign was moved.
The Meadow Gold sign originally was at 11th Street, aka Route 66, and Lewis Avenue. But when a car dealer no longer wanted it near his property, the long-neglected sign was dismantled in 2004, placed in storage, restored and reinstalled at 11th Street and Quaker Avenue, about a mile west.
People from 14 states made donations to help defray the costs of taking down the sign and putting it into storage until a new site was found.
The Meadow Gold sign was relighted in 2009.
(Image of the Meadow Gold sign shortly after it was relighted)