15-02-2025
Auto Mall gets its own version of the iconic blue-and-gold Bakersfield arch
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — The blue-and-gold arch that once spanned Union Avenue has been gone for more than a quarter-century, but we just can't seem to get enough of the nostalgic landmark.
Decades after Buck Owens recreated the Bakersfield arch next door to his Crystal Palace dinner club, the city has yet another one.
The city of Bakersfield is building a look-alike arch on Wible Road between White Lane and Pacheco Road at the Bakersfield Auto Mall.
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The sign is part of the city's effort to create a 'sense of place' for the Auto Mall, according to a city spokesman, who says it's a tribute of sorts to one of Bakersfield's biggest revenue-generating industries.
The design was created and approved by the car dealers group, and is clearly modeled after the original sign, erected in 1949. This version of the arch will feature digital messaging, but will not span Wible Road and will not contain a footbridge.
Then-Ward 7 Councilmember Chris Parlier originally proposed the idea.
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