The G sign was removed from atop the State Center Community College District building in Downtown Fresno on Saturday. SCCCD photo

This past Saturday, CENCAL Services, Inc. contractors were able to remove the G sign at the top of the State Center Community College District office in Downtown Fresno.

SCCCD spokesperson Jill Wagner said the removal of the sign went smoothly according to plan. 

The first attempt to remove the sign Jan. 20 met with two challenges — the sign weighed more than initial engineer estimates and an element in the post’s infrastructure prevented the sign from being lifted from the post, despite numerous attempts. 

Michael Gonzalez, president of CENCAL Services, Inc. in Turlock, said there were no schematics for the sign. Contractors had to salvage the sign whole without cutting it up or disassembling it.

“It wasn’t coming apart, being neglected for close to 25 years. We had to hook it up to the crane to assess what it was. We just didn’t have time last time – this time we cut a non-historical, non-architectural feature to remove the sign,” said Gonzalez. 

CENCAL had two different crews — one working on removing the sign from the building and another crew waiting at the Fresno Fairgrounds where it will join a collection of iconic Fresno signs.

The replacement sign will be constructed to honor the spirit of the past while complying with current structural design codes. The new replica sign will have upgraded LED lighting to follow the current exterior building lighting schemes that change in recognition of commemorative events.