PNC to replace signs on National City headquarters by July

CLEVELAND -- PNC Financial Services Group Inc. could be a part of Cleveland's skyline by early July.

That's when the Pittsburgh bank hopes to finish swapping out the signs atop National City's former corporate headquarters at East Ninth Street and Euclid Avenue downtown. Documents submitted to Cleveland planning officials indicate that PNC plans to start work in late May to remove the "National City" signs above the office tower and replace them with the "PNC" letters and logo.

A city design review committee recommended approval of the new signs Thursday, and the city planning commission is scheduled to vote Friday on the design. PNC hopes to raise the height of a screen wall on top of the tower and to adorn the wall on four sides with 9-foot-tall letters and the bank's orange and white logo. The letters, illuminated from within, would look blue during the day and white at night.

The display, larger and bolder than the current National City signs, is meant to build a downtown presence for PNC. Materials presented at the committee meeting made clear that the signs also are designed to compete for attention with nearby marquees for other banks, including Fifth Third Bank and KeyBank.

"I'm sorry to see it because of what it represents, but I think it looks good," committee member and architect Jack Bialosky Jr. said during the meeting.

PNC bought National City Corp. and became Ohio's largest bank in a deal that closed Dec. 31. The bank, which controls 32 percent of the deposit market share in Greater Cleveland, plans to cut thousands of jobs throughout National City.

The future of National City's local real estate, including downtown and suburban buildings that the bank owned or leased, has been the subject of much speculation. Thursday's presentation made clear that PNC intends to use the 35-story National City Center as its local headquarters.

During the design review meeting, National City facilities manager Patrick Branch said efforts are under way to "increase density" in the building. PNC spokesman Brian Goerke in Pittsburghwould not elaborate, beyond saying that "We're evaluating how to make more efficient use of our office space in the region."

Goerke would not share additional details about the bank's plans to debut its brand in Cleveland. Since the acquisition, National City has been operating with the tagline: "Now a part of PNC." Integration of the bank's customer accounts and branches into PNC will not happen until the first half of next year.

"What this does is signify the long-term commitment to Cleveland as an important region for the combined organization," Goerke said of PNC's plans to replace the signs. "It will be a key step in our efforts to build PNC brand awareness."

National City has occupied much of the downtown office tower for almost 30 years. The bank bought the building, at 1900 E. Ninth St., in 2003.

Plain Dealer reporter Teresa Dixon Murray contributed to this story.