Verizon ads at Embarcadero building to be modified ahead of Super Bowl

SAN FRANCISCO (KTVU) - There are new developments on the giant Super Bowl Verizon ads in San Francisco. 

At noon on Thursday, crews were already removing Verizon's part of two 25-story signs sitting atop equally large Super Bowl signs. As late as yesterday, there was deep disagreement over whether this massive Verizon signs were legal.

The Super Bowl Host Committee told KTVU that it would modify the signs so they are in compliance with city law.

The city's perspective was that the ads were essentially king-sized ads for Verizon.  

The ads are more than 30 floors tall, covering two sides of the Embarcadero building.

City Attorney Dennis Herrera sent a letter to Verizon, threatening to sue if the signs are not taken down by 5 p.m. Thursday.

Herrera says the banners violate a voter approved ordinance, that prohibit new ads from going up.

The committee told KTVU the whole situation was an honest miscommunication.

On Thursday, Verizon released this statement:

"Because of honest misunderstanding between the City and the Host Committee about permissible signage under the Planning Code, we have decided to remove our signage at Embarcadero 4." 

It's promising to move part of the signs to make them more like a celebratory banners, instead of advertisements.