Pepsi Sign 03.02.16

The Pepsi Sign over downtown Birmingham appears to be coming down. Photo taken on March 2, 2016.

(Carla Jean Whitley)

The controversial Pepsi sign in downtown Birmingham is being replaced by a sign for UAB.

Crews started construction on the billboard from the 17-story Two North Twentieth building Wednesday. It's expected to be finished in two weeks, according to a press release. The sign is 179 feet by 25 feet.

The sign was installed early 2014 without approval from the Birmingham Design Review Committee. Buffalo Rock, a Pepsi distributor and PepsiCo leased the sign from Harbert Realty for an undisclosed sum and term.

It's unclear if Harbert still owns the sign, as Harbert and Buffalo Rock have each declined to answer questions about the sign from AL.com. Additional calls went unreturned on Wednesday.

Harbert had submitted multiple proposals for similar signs to the committee in 2013 that were all rejected. The huge two-sided vinyl sign called Pepsi "A Southern Original," and bore a bottle cap with the company's logo.

"The new sign is a visual blend of old and new, paying homage to Birmingham's rich history while underscoring the unique partnership between the City of Birmingham and UAB," UAB President Ray Watts said in a statement. "The future of this region will be driven by collaboration between Birmingham, Jefferson County, UAB, the Birmingham Business Alliance and business and civic leaders and their respective organizations. The new signage is an affirmation of that mutually beneficial relationship."

The sign will feature "iconic images from Birmingham's past and present," according to a press release. Images will be rolled out in the next few weeks on UAB's social media accounts.

Before the Pepsi sign, the billboard had been lighted electronic scrolling sign. Harbert Realty said the company was spending $500 per month on replacing light bulbs alone, and it was too expensive to maintain.

Steve DeMedicis, who owns Iron City and who founded Scenic Alabama, an anti-billboard group, said a billboard on the skyline that advertises UAB still brings blight to the skyline - no better than an ad for Pepsi or anything else.

"Certainly, UAB knows the negative impact of that billboard better than anybody else because they have to look at it all day long," DeMedicis said. "Why would UAB want to put up that billboard after they heard the firestorm after the original Pepsi sign went up?"

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.