Boston’s CITGO Sign to Get Relocated, Refurbished

The CITGO sign in Boston's Kenmore Square, a signature feature of the city's skyline for more than six decades, is on the move. 

According to a Boston Herald report, the sign will be moved 30 feet higher and 120 feet east as part of the final phase of the One Kenmore Square redevelopment on Beacon Street to restore the original viewshed and preserve this city landmark.

The sign's history dates to 1940 (as the Cities Service Sign) and its 1965 reinstallation under the Citgo brand. Federal and state exemptions recognize its existence before the Highway Beautification Act, thereby preserving its landmark status.

The Boston Herald noted that an agreement to preserve the sign was reached in 2019 among CITGO, Related Beal, Boston University, and then-Mayor Marty Walsh, reflecting a long-standing commitment to the neighborhood's identity.

CITGO officials said that the relocation requires dismantling the sign piece by piece and reconstructing it with a new 90-foot-tall steel truss built into the existing anchor platform on the 660 Beacon St. building, ensuring structural stability and alignment with sightlines.

Originally, neon lights illuminated the sign. In 2005, these lights were replaced with LED lights. Today, approximately 218,000 of them light the sign in the night sky.

Suffolk Construction, the project contractor, said that work is expected to begin in the near future. It obtained final City Hall approval to move the sign in October. 

Suffolk officials said they will coordinate a meticulous, component-by-component disassembly and reconstruction that involves thousands of rivets, bolts, and parts, with digital modeling of each part to ensure accurate reassembly.

“Today, we get to say that for future generations, this sign will be present and visible,” said Boston City Councilor Sharon Durkan, who represents the neighborhood, in a statement shared with the Boston Herald. “This sign is incredibly important to the fabric of Kenmore Square.”