30 Rockefeller Plaza, the historic home of NBC and NBC News, is set for a major lighting overhaul. Tishman Speyer, the building's owner, received approval from the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission to replace the building’s iconic neon marquee lettering with LEDs. The commission's December 2024 vote (7-1) greenlit the changes, slated for completion in 2025.
The upgrade includes replacing the blue "Observation Deck" signage on the sides with "Top of the Rock," Tishman Speyer's branding for the 70th-floor attraction. Additionally, "30 Rockefeller Plaza" in red will be added to the lower front, with "Observation Deck" remaining on the upper portion. While the core 90-year-old marquee structure remains, the neon tubing will be replaced with custom LED illumination.
This transformation is presented as an environmentally friendly initiative. LED lighting consumes significantly less energy than neon, addressing the 24/7 illumination needs and improving reliability in inclement weather. However, the LED lettering will be less bright than the original neon. This decision marks another step in the decline of traditional neon signage in New York City, once ubiquitous, especially in Times Square.
The changes continue a pattern of modernizations at 30 Rockefeller Plaza. In 2014, the large "GE" letters were replaced with "Comcast" and the NBC peacock. The 6th Avenue side marquee was also previously converted to LED, coinciding with the addition of "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" to the signage. Comcast holds the building's naming rights despite its common name, "30 Rock."