The next time you drive through the Largo-Landover area near the football stadium in Prince George's County, you might notice something is missing. A highway sign displaying the name of a long-gone arena was still up – until recently.
The sign is covered over now, but until very recently, it said USAir Arena, with an arrow. The arena hasn't been around for decades, so why was the sign still up, and what led to it finally being removed?
Originally known as the Capital Centre, it was the place for countless concerts by famous and up-and-coming artists, and plenty of sports events too. Many remember it well.
"Concerts there, galore," one man recalled.
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Another remembered with a chuckle: "It was easy getting in, but it was tough getting out!"
The name of the Capital Centre was changed to USAir Arena in the 1990s, and the signs were changed too. The venue was ultimately demolished in 2002 -- but one lone sign hung around for another two decades.
The arena was torn down to make way for the Boulevard Shopping Center, which in turn was demolished to make way for a new hospital. There’s been a lot of change in this area.
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"It's been gone such a long time, you know, I never paid attention to the sign still being up," another man told News4. "It took a while to get the FedExField thing down too."
FedExField, home to the Washington Commanders, was recently renamed Northwest Stadium. While state highway crews were changing those stadium signs, they learned the USAir Arena sign was still around, so they took care of it too.
"It's fine," said a resident. "We still know where to go."
