If you’re Downtown on the morning of Nov. 3, watch for Ameris Bank in the sky.
Weather and wind permitting, the letters for Ameris Bank will be lifted by helicopter to the top elevations of the 28-story Riverplace Tower and attached.
Ameris Bank, the anchor of the tower at 1301 Riverplace Blvd., is rebranding its signs and adding a logo.
The existing signage is being removed now. Spokeswoman Ann-Stanton Cannarella said Thursday sign removal started Friday.
Cannarella said the letters are being lowered to the ground with rigging and ropes. The old signs will be disposed of and all components of the letters will be recycled.
She said Ameris Bank has partnered with CBRE's Brand Enhancement Services Team and their vendor partners, sign and lighting companies Priority Inc. and High Angle Services and the Air Crane helicopter contractor.
The helicopter installation will take about four hours, she said.
Cannarella said the staging area will be in the parking lot at 837-1099 Riverplace Blvd. The letters will be brought there for the helicopter to lift to the top of the building, where they will be attached.
Ameris Bank wants to replace its two signs on the north and south sides of the tower with larger signs of its new logo and branding and it wants to add its logo on the east and west sides.
The Downtown Development Review Board approved the signage Sept. 19.
New signage comes after Ameris Bank completed its merger with Fidelity Bank in July. The corporate website said the transition to Ameris Bank’s systems and signage will be completed systemwide in November.
“Our new look will introduce a bolder, sharper tone and image to illustrate our position in the financial industry as well as our no-nonsense approach to helping our customers achieve financial peace of mind,” said the site.
The lion logos with the Ameris Bank name on two sides and standing alone on the other two reflect Fidelity Southern Corp.
Ameris Bancorp moved its executive offices to the Riverplace Tower on Jacksonville’s Southbank in 2015. Ameris is headquartered in Moultrie, Georgia.
Signage also is being changed on the lower floors. The city issued permits Wednesday for Paramount Service & Maintenance Corp. to put up six Ameris Bank wall signs.