MOLINE, Ill. — The Vibrant Arena will finally be getting its name up on the side of the event center in Moline four and a half months after the official name change.
News 8 crews caught the "Tax" coming off of "TaxSlayer Center," temporarily exciting fans of the hard-rock metal band Slayer.
But the arena appears to be continuing with its plans to be named the Vibrant Arena at the Mark, the name and sponsorship announced on Aug. 18, 2022.
Lange Sign Group out of Davenport was on site Monday, Jan. 23 to start the process of removing the old TaxSlayer Center sign along River Drive in Moline.
Crews were spotted working to remove letters via a boom lift.
The crew started around 7 a.m. and hope to be done within a few days, dependent on weather and adequate daylight.
The sign along the Mississippi River, facing the I-74 bridge, will be replaced at a later date, once the ground is firm enough to support the lifts.
Back in August 2022, a press conference was held to announce and explain the name change.
Scott Mullen, the TaxSlayer Center's Executive Director, addressed the ending agreement with TaxSlayer, which was a 10-year, $3.3 million deal, which expired several years ahead of schedule due to various factors.
The deal contained a 7-year out clause if either party wanted to end the contract and the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a freezing of the agreement for the 16 months the center was closed.
According to Mullen, the center had an arrangement with TaxSlayer where, if the center could shop around and find a better deal, the current agreement could be ended.
Vibrant is a Moline-based credit union that provides financial and insurance services with locations across the Quad City area and the nation.