Winthrop-University Hospital officials and local politicians held a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Tuesday afternoon for the new Winthrop-branded “Welcome to Mineola” erected last month to replace the aging, weathered sign that had sat atop the building that now houses Station Plaza Coffee Shop since 1940.
“We thought it was important to preserve a piece of history in Mineola and also reinforce our bond with the Village of Mineola,” Winthrop President and CEO John Collins told reporters after cutting the ribbon in Long Island Rail Road Station plaza. “We’ve invested in the community with our new research and academic center. We thought it would improve the general community and the Winthrop campus.”
The sign, visible to motorists driving north over the railroad bridge on Mineola Boulevard, is located near the $80 million diabetes and obesity research center currently in the final stages of construction at the corner of Mineola Boulevard and Second Street.
Village officials have said the research center will be a “gateway” to the village’s downtown business district.
The new sign is comprised of two blue 36-foot long banners. The three-foot high top banner bears the Village of Mineola logo and the words “Welcome to Mineola.”
A bottom banner eight feet high displays the Winthrop-University Hospital name over the words “You Health Means Everything.” An image of the American flag sits between the two banners. A clock rests in the middle of the top banner, replacing a clock that hadn’t worked in years. LED lighting illuminates the sign at night.
“It looks great. Winthrop did another class job,” said Village of Mineola Mayor Scott Strauss. “It incorporated the new sign with the old style.”
Winthrop spokesman Ed Keating declined to disclose the cost of designing and erecting the new sign, and refurbishing the infrastruture that had held the old sign.
The original Winthrop welcome sign was erected in 1940 by the Going Sign Company, which at the time was located in the building on which the sign sits. The company relocated to Plainview in 1974.
Nick Liakonis, Station Plaza Coffee Shop owner, declined to comment on details of the lease deal he struck with Winthrop to permit the hospital to mount the new sign.
“As long as Winthrop wants it to be there, it will be up there,” Liakonis said.
He said Winthrop was his first choice among “a couple of other choices” he had of companies seeking to place a sign above his building.
Kevin Going, a partner in Going Sign Company, said Liakonis had leased the sign – which bore the Going name – after he bought the building from Going in 2000.
“When the sign came down, it was more emotional than I thought it would be,” Going said. “But it’s nice to see it’s with Winthrop, which is the fabric of Mineola.”
State senators Jack Martins (R-Mineola) and Kemp Hannon (R-Garden City) were on hand for the ribbon-cutting along with state Assemblyman Ed Ra (R-Franklin Square), Town of North Hempstead Supervisor Judi Bosworth and Mineola trustees Dennis Walsh and George Durham.
Reach reporter Richard Tedesco by e-mail at rtedesco@theislandnow.com or by phone at 516.307.1045 x204. Also follow us on Twitter @theislandnow1 and Facebook at facebook.com/theislandnow.
