This iconic Charlotte sign is disappearing – but there’s a plan to preserve it

The Coliseum Center on Independence Boulevard has been demolished, but its iconic sign will live on, the developer said Wednesday.

The shopping center, just past the Eastway Boulevard exit from Independence, was purchased by developer Chris Bitterlin, after decades of disrepair. The 18.3-acre site is next to a Walmart Supercenter.

Bitterlin has since sold more than half the site to a car dealership for $6 million, and is redeveloping the remaining portion for new retail.

“I wanted to do all that I could to save the Coliseum Center sign for historical purposes,” said Bitterlin. “Our new project does not lend itself to incorporating it into our future tenant mix. Therefore, with interest from several preservationists, I have decided to donate the sign.”

He is donating the sign to Christopher Lawing, who runs the Charlotte Signs Project. Lawing will remove the sign by the end of next week.

The Charlotte Signs Project, started in 2010, has documented and preserved some of Charlotte’s old, vanishing signs for shopping centers, restaurants and businesses.

Lawing could not immediately be reached for more information about his plans for the Coliseum Center sign. The shopping center was built in 1964 and anchored by a Kmart, which closed in 1994.

This story first ran at CharlotteObserver.com.

Photo: CharlotteFive files

This story was originally published December 21, 2017 at 8:00 PM with the headline "This iconic Charlotte sign is disappearing – but there’s a plan to preserve it."