BIRMINGHAM, Alabama – Buffalo Rock Co. and PepsiCo plan to begin installing a 176-foot by 57-foot vinyl sign over the iconic lighted scrolling sign atop the 17-story Two North Twentieth building today.

The giant two-sided vinyl sign will proclaim Pepsi “A Southern Original” and will contain a Pepsi bottle cap and the soft drink’s name.

Officials are calling the sign one of the largest outdoor signs in the country and what is believed to be the largest double-sided vinyl sign outside of New York or Las Vegas.

Harbert Realty no longer owns the building but still owns the sign and said Buffalo Rock and Pepsi are paying an undisclosed sum to place the advertising over the existing sign. The sign was turned off Feb. 17 and scaffolding was installed over the recent weekend to allow the sign to go up starting today. A lighting ceremony for the new sign is planned for March 3.

David Williams, chief operating officer with Harbert, said the existing lighted sign is functionally obsolete and the company has been spending around $500 per month just to replace light bulbs in the sign. He said the company explored updating the sign with LED and digital video technology, but the $4 million price tag was too high.

“If the economics at some point allowed us to put a video sign there, then we will look at doing that,” Williams said. “For now, this is the best solution. We believe this sign can be just as iconic as the old sign because we have one of the top brands in the world with Pepsi, which is a global advertiser and one of the top in the world and they are making a major commitment to repurpose that sign.”

Scaffolding on the northern side of the sign atop Two North Twentieth was installed this weekend in preparation for adding the Pepsi sign today. (Michael Tomberlin/AL.com)

In a statement, Buffalo Rock said the new sign “defines their intentions with two words, gratitude and pride: Gratitude shown through their support throughout the City of Birmingham and pride in the city’s newest addition enhancing the skyline.”

“We’ve always used signs that are bold and proud,” said David Miller, general manager of retail marketing, execution and communication. “This is nothing new for Buffalo Rock.

Buffalo rock and PepsiCo’s ‘A Southern Original’ marketing campaign is being highlighted with the sign. The slogan speaks to Pepsi’s North Carolina roots.

"In partnership with Buffalo Rock Company, this new billboard is emblematic of a rich history and a bright future in Birmingham," Simon Lowden, chief marketing officer of Pepsi Beverages North America, said in a statement. "Like the Lee family, our local trade customers and consumers, Pepsi is a Southern original – and, together, we're here to stay."

Buffalo Rock traces its own Birmingham roots to 1901 and its signage was a major part of Birmingham’s signage for years. A lighted sign on the company’s building on

Buffalo Rock's lighted sign atop its former facility on 26th Street was there for more than 40. (courtesy of Buffalo Rock).

26th Street once poured a bottled drink into a glass and urged readers to “Drink Buffalo Rock.”

That sign was taken down nearly 50 years ago but now Buffalo Rock will have a significant presence in the Birmingham skyline again.

“Buffalo Rock has always had a deep commitment to our community and it has been our honor and privilege to invest in the area, and give back, since 1901,” Jimmy Lee, the fourth-generation owner and chief executive of Buffalo Rock, said in a statement. “Our company has had a rich history in Birmingham, one highlight being the famed Buffalo Rock sign at our 26th Street location. That was the most iconic sign in Birmingham for over 40 years and today we are proud to highlight Buffalo Rock’s new and improved iconic sign in Birmingham’s downtown area atop the Two North Twentieth building.”

PepsiCo and Buffalo Rock are replacing the lighted sign atop Two North Twentieth with a 176-foot by 57-foot Pepsi sign slated to look like this. (courtesy of Buffalo Rock)

Birmingham Mayor William Bell also acknowledged that history in a statement.

"Buffalo Rock-Pepsi has been a major corporate community partner for the City of Birmingham since 1901," Bell said. "We are thankful that Buffalo Rock-Pepsi has called Birmingham 'home' for over 100 years, and we look forward to their continued commitment to our city."

The new sign has already ignited controversy even before Buffalo Rock starts hanging it.

The proposal has come before the Birmingham Design Review Committee twice before and was rejected both times.

Williams said the sign plan went to the committee because they were originally told the panel had to approve the plan. However, Williams said the City Department of Planning Engineering and Permits has since said the approval is not needed because the dimensions of the existing sign will not change with the new one.

Harbert and Buffalo Rock made an attempt at a full presentation to the Design Review Committee in July 2013, but were cut short and told to ask for what they were seeking. Officials presented renderings and images but were denied by the committee, who dismissed it as a "glorified billboard."

Williams said Buffalo Rock remained behind the project through the two years it has taken to get to today.

“They have been committed to it since Day One,” he said. “They have given us the enthusiasm to continue to push for it.”