BIRMINGHAM, Alabama – Buffalo Rock celebrated the new Pepsi sign that is now a part of the Birmingham skyline with a party from the rooftop of a nearby building Monday evening.

Work on the controversial, giant sign was completed over the weekend and Buffalo Rock was joined by dozens of employees and friends to celebrate the new addition atop the 17-story Two North Twentieth building.

“It stands out and looks great,” said Jimmy Lee III, chief executive officer of Buffalo Rock, in an interview. “It definitely looks better than that rusted can that was up there.”

The party took place on the sixth-floor rooftop patio of the Kress Building at Third Avenue North and 19th Street with a number of business leaders and former University of Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback and current WJOX radio personality Jay Barker among those in attendance. It included champagne, wine, beer and, of course, Pepsi and Buffalo Rock products. Young ladies wore dresses made from cans and packaging of said soft drink brands.

Lucy Bailey wore a Buffalo Rock Ginger Ale dress while Raven Whitfield was dressed in Grapico and Keeley Pownall wore Pepsi. The unique attire was a nod to Birmingham Fashion Week, which Buffalo Rock sponsors April 21-26.

Matthew Dent, president of Buffalo Rock, noted the company employs around 675 just in the Birmingham area and 2,100 in Alabama, Georgia and Florida. Buffalo Rock is a bottler and distributor of Pepsi products and its own brands.

Lee reminded the crowd that Buffalo Rock was preceded by Alabama Grocery Co. The company had its initial plant at First Avenue North and 17th Street, just a couple of blocks away from the Two North Twentieth building.

When the Buffalo Rock plant was at 26th Street between Ninth and 10th Avenues North, an iconic electric sign featuring a bottle pouring into a cup was a Birmingham landmark, Lee said. Pointing to the new sign, Lee said the company once again has a downtown Birmingham icon. “We think the most iconic Birmingham sign now and for years to come,” Lee said.

Critics have bemoaned the sign as a tacky addition to the skyline and hope it is more of a temporary replacement to the former electric scrolling sign that became outdated and too expensive for owners Harbert Realty to continue to operate.

Lee said the critics are entitled to their opinions but he is hopeful many of them will come to embrace the new sign even though he recognizes not everybody will be a fan.

“Everybody has an opinion and there will be those who will not like it,” he said. “Some people like Alabama and some people like Auburn.”

Harbert Realty made numerous attempts to win approval for the giant vinyl Pepsi sign to cover up the old lighted sign but the Birmingham Design Review Committee rejected each attempt as not being in keeping with the character of the downtown skyline.

Harbert determined last month it did not need the committee's approval because a permit was not required to make the changes to the sign. City officials so far have not disputed that position, noting it is the first time it has faced this sort of issue. At least one official has said Harbert should have appealed its last Design Review rejection or sought approval for a different plan.

Lee praised Harbert for being persistent in finding a way to make the deal work. Buffalo Rock and PepsiCo are paying an undisclosed amount to lease the sign for an undisclosed length of time.