The popular “Toronto” sign will light up Nathan Phillips Square until at least autumn, but hopes for a smaller mobile “T.O.” sign have gone dim.

The city’s economic development committee voted Wednesday to have city staff take another look at the request for $150,000 to maintain the illuminated 3-D sign, improve the lighting and study the idea of the smaller, two-letter sign that would move to special events around the city.

But, while telling staff to “fine-tune” the request and report back Oct. 24, the councillors said to forget about the proposed mobile sign that might have cost about $200,000.

Councillor Norm Kelly compared the TORONTO sign, installed as a temporary Pan Am Games celebration feature, and left in place after it became a hit with photo-snapping visitors, to the CN Tower as an “iconic statement.”

“I think that we would be penny-wise, pound-foolish if we did not appreciate the importance of that sign in marketing the Toronto brand in the 21st century,” he said. “The mobile sign — nice to have, but it's not an imperative.”

The same committee had in forwarded the staff funding request to city council.

But, at the May council meeting, politicians balked at the $150,000 request, including staff time to maintain the oft-climbed sign, and the prospect of spending more than $400,000 to keep it in good condition for two years, and then more to replace it with a sturdy permanent version in three to five years.

Etobicoke Councillor Stephen Holyday even suggested trying to sell the TORONTO sign.

“The light bulbs are going to burn out, or it’s going to fall, or somebody’s going to cut their finger on it and then we’ve got a negative publicity piece with the city of Toronto,” he warned.

Colleagues rejected that idea but gave Mike Williams, the economic development general manager, a hard time about dedicating staff time to a sign.

“Is our staff so stretched now that we cannot continue to maintain the sign in its existing condition?” Etobicoke Councillor John Campbell asked Williams in May. “Yes,” Williams replied immediately, warning that the sign will deteriorate. When pressed, he agreed to fund maintenance from existing budgets until council makes a decision.

A Star story about the fact that council has not made the sign, almost a year after its installation, a permanent feature or committed new maintenance funds, prompted a flood of concern on social media.

“Blow $billions on transit ..and belly ache about the Toronto sign....sigggghhhh,” tweeted Councillor Paul Ainslie.

“I think it would be a tremendous mistake to do anything but embrace that beautiful sign and make it permanent. It is a phenomenal success for marketing of Toronto. I LOVE IT!” wrote Leslie Wood on Facebook.

Not everyone, though, is a fan.

“I hate that thing,” wrote John Larsson on Facebook. “And it clutters up the square that was meant to be a broad open modernist space.”

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Some TORONTO sign facts

The letters are 3 metres high. The seven of them stretch 22 metres.

The sign weighs 9,207 kilograms (20,300 pounds), about as much as seven Honda Civics.

A staff person has to go to Nathan Phillips Square to change the light pattern, including on weekends. A proposed new lighting system could be changed remotely.

The plinth, or base, of what was planned as a temporary display was originally cardboard. It was replaced with strong plastic.

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The letters consist of a steel frame, aluminum cladding and a translucent polycarbonate front and back.

City staff say their inspirations were the https://www.iamsterdam.com/en/visiting/about-amsterdam/i-amsterdam-letters “I Amsterdam” sign END in the Dutch city; a http://www.rgj.com/story/life/2015/06/17/reno-purchases-believe-sculpture-burning-man/28902721/ “Believe” sign END from the Burning Man festival, later purchased by the city of Reno, Nev.; and the Os of the Olympic rings at the Vancouver Games in 2010.

Vinyl “wraps,” with designs including http://www.chumfm.com/news/2015/11/27/mayor-tory-unveils-new-wrap-on-toronto-sign names of Toronto neighbourhoods END , help protect and prolong the life of the letters. However, no new wraps are anticipated because council has not approved any new funds.

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