Boston’s skyline is in constant flux, with new towers and new cranes leading a steady shuffle skyward. But one familiar face isn’t going anywhere, even if it’s getting a minor facelift. After years of debate, the CITGO sign in Kenmore Square (aka the city’s most recognizable neon resident) is officially being moved. Not far, though. Just about 30 feet higher and 120 feet back from its current home. Think of it less as a move and more as a strategic glow-up.
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The plan, approved this October, will see engineers carefully dismantle the 60-by-60-foot sign, refurbish its panels and lighting, and reinstall it atop a neighboring building. The goal? To preserve sight lines that have been gradually blocked by nearby development, ensuring the iconic red triangle continues to beam proudly across Fenway for decades to come.
First erected in the 1940s as a “Cities Service” sign before rebranding to CITGO in 1965, the glowing landmark has become something far greater than an ad. It’s part of Boston’s identity, a backdrop to Red Sox home runs, a navigational marker for cab drivers and a comforting signal that you’re back in the city. Few structures inspire as much hometown affection. Which also inspires decades of debate.
In 2018, the Boston Landmarks Commission voted to grant it historic status, but the mayor vetoed that designation. A compromise followed: a 30-year lease between Citgo and the building’s developer, securing its place in the skyline. Now, as Kenmore Square continues to transform, the new relocation is being billed as a preservation effort, not a removal.
Construction crews, preservationists and signage experts are working together to pull off the delicate move. The process will happen in stages, with lighting upgrades and new supports installed to modern standards. The result should look and feel exactly the same, just slightly higher and brighter.
So, while Boston’s skyline shifts and grows, that iconic red triangle will keep doing what it’s always done: marking the spot where the city feels like home. Change is constant here, but some lights never go out.