The Heinz History Center's big ketchup bottle from Acrisure Stadium has the official OK.
The History Center asked the Zoning Board to consider the bottle an artifact and not a sign.
Signs are subject to requirements, and the ketchup bottle is almost twice the size the city code allows.
This week, the Zoning Board gave the OK, saying community support was a factor. The board’s decision was filled with ketchup and Heinz puns.
“The Applicant asserted that the ketchup bottle is an historical artifact that was originally displayed next to the scoreboard at the football stadium, formerly known as Heinz Field, and was used as a condiment-ary signal of incursions into the ‘red zone’,” the board said. “To be frank, the Board does not relish considering legal bottlenecks where the Applicant’s anticipation of approval necessitates playing catch-up. Any seasoned applicant should understand that post hoc applications for approvals are a big dill and could be a recipe for landing in hot sauce.”
The board concluded that the bottle is not a “sign” and is not subject to the size requirements.