Five years, so far, in the making — and facing many obstacles along the way — the Museum of Neon Art had its official groundbreaking Wednesday morning in Glendale, incorporating a fitting touch, a neon shovel.
The museum, which has bounced around Los Angeles since 1981, is one step closer to putting down roots across the street from the Americana at Brand. Once it opens, it will become Glendale’s first full-fledged art museum.
“It’s been a long haul moving from place to place and finally we’re going to have a home here in Glendale,” said David Svenson, president of the museum’s board of directors.
The plan for a $5.2 million museum project has been brewing since 2009 when city officials offered to subsidize the majority of the project. It was a controversial decision at the time, requiring the city to purchase a former arcade in the 200 block of Brand Avenue and pay for external design work and improvements.