Hillcrest sign being celebrated on the 25th anniversary of CityFest (August 2009)
The Hillcrest Business Association (HBA), guardians of the Hillcrest sign, have sold the neon icon via an online auction. The sign was installed in 1984 after the original sign was taken down for repairs, and it ended up being replaced with a replica. The auction began on Monday, January 30 and ended at 5pm Wednesday.
The winning bidder agrees to enter into a contract with the HBA to take ownership of the sign which includes, but is not limited to the following stipulations: (1) the winning bidder will provide transportation for the sign from its current location and (2) the sign must be displayed in Hillcrest.
The initial bid on Monday of $3,000 was not raised until the final day of the auction. The back and forth bidding started in the afternoon between business owners Chris Shaw, Nick Moede, Cecelia Moreno, Brett Serwalt and others. The highest bidder changed several times in the last 30 minutes. The final bid of $5,200 was made by Obelisk Book Store owner Brett Serwalt in the last two minutes. His store, destroyed by a fire in 2011, should be re-opening in the next few months.
