Piece by piece, the Citgo sign is coming down to move on up

Business admin May 30, 2026 0 Comments

Piece by piece, the Citgo sign is coming down to move on up

The T was first to go down.

No, not the transit system. The central letter in Boston’s famed Citgo sign, which began its six-month, $8 million refurbishment and relocation on Friday.

The 125,000-pound structure will be taken apart piece by piece, first with the existing letters and logos, by crews from Suffolk Construction. After cleaning, repainting, and repairing the sign — which measures 60 feet by 60 feet, each letter 11 feet high — it will be reinstalled on a new steel superstructure 120 feet away from its current spot atop 660 Beacon St. in Kenmore Square.

Developer Related Beal redeveloped a string of former Boston University buildings in the heart of the square in 2023, and incorporated support structures into the property’s elevator shaft at 660 Beacon St. to create what would eventually be a safe foundation for a relocated Citgo sign.

That elevator shaft is about 30 feet higher and 120 feet to the east from the sign’s current location, where it is now blocked from many vantage points by the headquarterslogo for wearable tech fitness company Whoop.

Restoring clear views to the sign was a key factor in deciding to move the iconic structure, said Karl Schmidt, vice president of supply and marketing at Citgo Petroleum Corp., on Friday.

“We’re trying to reposition it such that the views look like they always did,” Schmidt said. “That way it can be here for another 40, 60, 100 years.”

Pat Lucey, the president of Suffolk’s Northeast division, said he recalled attending Red Sox games at nearby Fenway Park as a child.

“You come into the city, people are wearing Red Sox jerseys and Red Sox hats, but they’re also wearing Citgo hats and Citgo T-shirts,” Lucey said. “It’s really remarkable. Our whole team’s really, really excited.”

The electricity to the sign has been disconnected so crews can safely work. The lights will stay off for about six months, but Lucey said he’s hoping to get the work done a little earlier. The sign’s lights are expected to come back on in late fall in time for the holiday season.

Pam Beale, president of the Kenmore Square Business Association and owner of Cornwall’s, said keeping the Citgo sign in Kenmore Square was “tremendously significant” for the neighborhood.

“We know we’re home when we see the Citgo sign,” Beale said. “It’s representative of everything significant about the skyline, and our part of the city.”