Boston Considers Landmark Status For Citgo Sign

BOSTON (CBS) – Should the Citgo sign become an official Boston landmark?

The Boston Landmarks Commission is holding a public hearing Tuesday at 6 p.m. in City Hall, at which citizens can weigh on in whether the iconic illuminated sign in Kenmore Square should receive landmark status and all the protections that come with it.

Such a move would help protect the sign from future development projects, and that's a concern to some local business leaders.

The commission released a 51-page report on the sign, built in 1965. It recommended making the sign itself a landmark, but not extending that status to the Beacon Street building it sits atop.

"The Citgo sign is one of the few remaining local examples of 'spectacular' lighting displays that represent a specific era in America's cultural history," the report states. "It is also 'a key visual landmark on the Boston skyline.'"

The report cites examples of other cities designating famous signs as landmarks, such as the Shell Oil Company sign in Cambridge.

In 2017, Citgo and the building owner reached an agreement that they said would keep the sign in place for "decades."

A landmark designation for the Citgo sign would ultimately have to be approved by the Boston City Council and Mayor Marty Walsh.