It’s not the first time officials have discussed moving the Citgo sign. This time, it’s not just discussion, it’s action.
Last Friday, work commenced to restore the original sightlines of the sign, which began with the Citgo sign going completely dark. The sign will stay in Kenmore Square but move to “reestablish the sightlines that have defined its presence in Kenmore Square since 1965,” said Karl Schmidt, Vice President of Citgo.
The sign will travel 30 feet higher and 120 feet to the east for $8 million.
Crews predict the project will take about 6 months total to complete, with the sign staying dark until then, and hope to light up the sign by the holiday season in its new nook, still in Kenmore Square.
The first Citgo sign move in history
Despite all of the debate on moving and changing the sign in decades past, this is the first time in history for the sign to make a move since it was first built in 1940 and updated with the Citgo logo in 1965. The video below shows the evolution of the sign along with its neighborhood, Kenmore Square:
The goal of this move is to both refurbish the sign and restore the original sightline of the sign as the skyline around it has transformed dramatically in the last half century. If construction goes to plan, the Citgo sign will shine again in December!
