Why Boston’s Famed CITGO Sign Must Be Moved

The iconic red, white and blue CITGO sign, which has stood tall on the roof of 660 Beacon Street in Boston for decades, is moving. The good news is the sign is not moving far and will still serve as a beacon for Red Sox Nation for years to come.

The CITGO sign has been a guiding star for Sox fans on their way to historic Fenway Park since 1965 when it replaced an earlier green-and-white sign erected in 1940 to advertise a Cities Service gas station below it in Kenmore Square.

Through the joy of victory and the agony of defeat, the CITGO sign has been a constant for Boston Red Sox fans and a reminder to adversaries that "we'll get 'em next year!"

CITGO faced strong opposition from fans and city officials when it attempted to remove the sign. Instead, the company refurbished the sign in 1983, much to the delight of everyone, even New York Yankees fans who came to view the CITGO sign as a part of the Red Sox-Yankees rivalry.

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The sign was refurbished again in 2004.

The CITGO sign is as much a part of Red Sox Nation as Monument Park is to Yankee Stadium.

In 2018, the City of Boston Planning Department approved the Kenmore Square Redevelopment Project. The plan includes replacing six of the seven buildings in a cluster that includes 660 Beacon Street.

READ MORE: Boston's CITGO Sign Serves as Guiding Star for Red Sox Nation

Boston's WCVB reports that the CITGO sign will be repositioned to ensure it stays visible for many years.

The station reported, "Ultimately, the sign will be repositioned approximately 30 feet higher and moved approximately 120 feet behind its existing location."