TORONTO

The fate of the Sam the Record Man sign is now in a “black hole,” Councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam says.

Council voted 24 to 18 on Wednesday to send the sign issue back to city staff rather than agree to changing the agreement with Ryerson University on where the sign has to go back up.

Ryerson had been asking the city to amend the deal it had signed that mandated the sign go up either in the original Yonge St. location or on the school’s library located on nearby Gould St.

Both Mayor Rob Ford and Wong-Tam had suggested motions that would have changed the agreement to order the sign to be placed at or near Yonge St. or Gould St. or at least in the vicinity of the area.

Wong-Tam — whose ward includes the original Sam the Record Man site — said the motion council approved is “extremely vague.”

“This motion now sends it into a black hole and I don’t know when it is going to come back,” she said.

Ryerson president Sheldon Levy said he has confidence the school will be able to work with the deputy city manager and find a solution that “works for everyone.”

“Ryerson always wanted to not only respect the obligation but to put up the sign and I’ll think we’ll have a good solution,” Levy said.

Ford acknowledged that many people want to save the sign.

“As we all know there is a great deal of history with respect to the sign,” he said.

“This is extremely important that we preserve the sign. As a little guy I remember going downtown with my brothers going past Sam the Record Man and I think we all did that.”

Councillor Josh Matlow lamented the city’s failure to protect its heritage.

“My personal belief is that Ryerson didn’t make a reasonable effort to put the sign into their original design,” Matlow said.