Big Signs on Old Borders Building Would ‘Open Up a Can of Worms’

Temporary banners hang on the side of the old Borders building, signaling two new tenants, ATI Physical Therapy and Massage Envy.

It’s going to be awhile longer before they get a permanent mark on the building after the Village Board voted June 10 to table a proposed zoning variation that would allow second-floor signs.

“Once we do this here, we open up a whole can of worms around the village, and I don’t know if that’s what we want,” said Trustee Mark Langan, adding that he would prefer a single sign for all the businesses in the building.

The other trustees agreed that large second-floor signs would detract from La Grange’s charm. Trustee Dave McCarty, who helped write the village’s sign ordinance, said that in addition to looking bad, elevated signs like that are useless.

“If we can be specific,” he said, “I think the Smashburger sign is atrocious. It does not help Smashburger and it does not help La Grange.”

Patricia Mahony, of property manager Mid-America Asset Management, urged the board to move quickly on resolving the situation.

“One of the main lease negotiations for any retailer is the size of the sign,” she said. “The bigger, the better.”

The tenants were under the impression, she said, that the proposed signs would be OK.

The variation will return to committee for review and continued discussion before the board re-examines it.

What do you think: 

Would large signs on the second-floor exterior of the old Border’s building hurt La Grange’s character?