Union Tribune

Architect: N/A
Builder: Clear Sign & Design
Sign Designer: Clear Sign & Design

Maintaining proud ownership of (4) Pulitzer Prizes, The San Diego Union Tribune has a rich history as a major metropolitan newspaper dating back to the early 1850’s.

The SDUT has called only (3) residences home preceding their most recent move to 600 B street, located in downtown San Diego. Not only are they making great use of their nearly 100,000 sq. ft. new downtown “high-tech” office space, they have also taken full advantage of their exterior signage allowances. Partnering with fellow BiA members Clear Sign & Design, the Union Tribune now boasts (2) 6.5’ tall sets of illuminated channel letters visible from nearly everywhere in downtown San Diego including Interstate 5, Coronado Island, and Petco Park.

Clear Sign’s experience was key to the flawless execution of an extremely challenging project involving the removal and installation of (2) sets of channel letters 415’ above pedestrian traffic. When the potential liabilities are noted, it is evident that a project of this scope is not for everyone; it takes a unique company to work safely and successfully in such a tough environment. This is precisely why the Union Tribune chose Clear Sign to design, permit, engineer, fabricate, remove the old letters, and install both sets of new letters.

Great detail was taken to not only ensure that the individual letters were built to withstand the ever-present wind, but that all materials used would be corrosion-resistant and last for decades. To overcome these issues, Clear Sign selected the industry’s best Low voltage LED products to illuminate the letters brighter than neighboring neon and LED signs. It was no surprise when our installers flipped the switch the night after installation was completed and saw our 12V powered letters proudly outshining the competition.

The high-rise environment also called for special attention to detail in securing the letters thereby addressing obvious concerns of drilling hundreds of holes into the building’s facades. To counteract the concerns, Clear Sign employed a proprietary mounting and sealing method to ensure a stable connection to the building with watertight penetrations for mounting and electrical.

Being apart of a major San Diego branding project for the world famous San Diego Union Tribune was a proud moment for our company and a cause that brought out the best in our entire team of tradesmen and craftsmen.

If you would like to see how Clear Sign & Design can help your business Shine Bright, call 760.736-8111 and speak with one of our product specialists today..

“Recently, a very important client of mine was in need of some new signage on their high-profile, high-rise building in Irvine. This sign would be seen from the freeway, commercial planes, and surrounding retail. The responsibility for this sign was delegated to me and it was critical that this sign be seen, day and night!

Thankfully, I had worked with Clear Signs previously and was confident of the quality and professionalism I could expect. Immediately upon installation, I received calls from both the President and the CFO thanking me. Gabe made me look like a hero and will always come highly recommended by me to anyone needing professional signage.”

Steve Lane

Sr. VP/Partner
Voit Real Estate

“From the very beginning Gabe and the team at Clear Signs exhibited a high level of professionalism. The process from bid to installation was flawless. Not only this, but they have completed projects on both of our high rise locations in San Diego and Irvine as well as our boutique shops in Northern California. Their craftsmanship from from Southern California to Northern is amazing! I’d recommend Clear signs for all your signage needs.”

Scharrell Jackson

COO/CFO
Squar Milner

“Urban Housing takes tremendous pride in the quality of our work, and the service we provide to our clients. Selecting sign vendors is no different, which is why Clear Sign has earned a spot on the preferred list after a flawless execution for a key client of ours.”

Lenette Hewitt

VP of Marketing
Urban Partners

“My company has always ascribed to the highest standards in customer service so it’s easy for me to recognize. No matter what size the project, Gabe and the rest of the team at Clear Sign & Design have always given me the support I needed in a timely manner.”

Stacy Lombardo

Sr. VP of Operations
Torrey Pines Bank

“We have had a great working relationship with Clear Sign for over 10 years and are very pleased with their dedication to creating beautiful signs for Valley View Casino & Hotel. Clear Sign has always treated us fairly and their team is not only efficient but professional. We look forward to a continued partnership and hope to work together for many years to come.”

Joe Navarro

President - CEO
Valley View Casino & Hotel

“We were in a desperate place, 4 days before final inspection/occupancy, and our client's vendor could not deliver any of the code required signage in time. With one call – Clear Sign manufactured and installed nearly 600 code signs with time to spare. This hail mary saved the day and set the new standard for what a preferred vendor can do.”

Joe Bigglione

Sr. Project Manager
CW Driver Builders

“From Florida to San Diego and everywhere in between
Clear Sign has been with us every step of the way handling all of our signage needs no matter where the next race track is located. Nine years and 18 locations later, Steve remains my “sign guy” of choice.”

David Danglard

President - CEO
K1 Speed Indoor Karting

“Its not that I felt Clear Sign couldn’t do the work… but initially I felt more comfortable choosing a vendor that was local to the project which Clear Sign was not. Ironically, my “local” vendor ended up dropping the ball, and Clear Sign picked it up and literally scored a touchdown with their products despite the super tight timeline and custom design requirements. Steve and his team have earned their spot in my list of approved vendors.”

Noah Rosenblatt

Sr. Creative Director
CON-AM Management

“Being a construction manager and choosing a sign vendor from a bid list can be difficult, because having the lowest price rarely nets the desired results. Having worked with Steve and the team over at Clear Sign on a few high profile projects and seeing the benefits first-hand made me a believer. They are now one of my few preferred signage vendors.”

Roger Kazemier

Field Operations Manager
Swinerton Builders

“From day one - Clear Sign understood our philosophy on quality and design, and it showed in the professional execution of our new interior and exterior sign package, replacing the tired looking 10+ year-old original product. This alignment priorities benefitted the entire project, and increased foot traffic didn't hurt either!”

Ryan Krasner

General Manager
Harold Stevens Jewelers

“It was only a short time after being introduced as our builders preferred vendor did I start to realize that Clear Signs capabilities were perfectly suited for my project. The fact that they were able to do the work of what has typically been 3-4 different contractors on a project this size provided an enormous advantage. From interior to exterior… a 4000sqft SS wall mural and LED building lighting Clear Sign had the experience to make my project a success”

Steve Donlon

Director of Construction
Ariel Suites LLC

“As the proud director of one of San Diego’s oldest Theaters It was important for us to maintain our historic animated neon sign. 18 months and tens of thousands of dollars later it was clear our current vendor was in over his head – In the end… it was the talented team at Clear Sign that finally finished the job that others could not, and brought life back to our beloved sign”

David Schulz

Artistic Director
Star Theater of Oceanside

“It can often times be difficult to find subs that act in the best interest of the project on a consistent basis. Gabe and the team at Clear Sign were a Clear exception on our last downtown project. From roaming deadlines, shifting scope and non-ideal site conditions the team at Clear Sign made easy work of a complicated project and did their part to help us see it across the finish line.”

Zach Adams

Sr. Project Manager
OliverMcMilan

“I don’t know if am more surprised at how difficult the sign criteria committee was or that William and the team at Clear Sign stuck with my project for over 16 months in order to get it approved and completed, either way I am pleased at the end result and patience observed .”

Song Gao

Supervisor
Carlsbad Tech

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