Fremont community comes together after 'Center of the Universe' sign stolen



SEATTLE -- The "Center of the Universe" sign in Seattle's Fremont neighborhood is coming back to life.

It was ripped off the ground and stolen last week by a mentally ill woman who said the sign belonged to her.

The popular sign, built in 1991, guides visitors to various destinations, like the Fremont Troll, the Louvre in Paris, and the Milky Way galaxy.

Maque daVis, the sign's creator, gathered Saturday with about a dozen local artists who helped him rebuild the iconic guidepost.

"I never understood its real value to the community until it was stolen," daVis said. "And people came out of the woodwork and asked, 'What happened to it?' It's our icon, it's part of our quirkiness."

daVis and his volunteers hope to have the new sign back up by next Saturday.

As for the mentally ill woman who stole the sign, police don't believe they'll be filing any charges.