The World Liquors sign at the corner of 16th Street and Central Avenue since 1961 will live on as a beacon of St. Petersburg's retro hipness — three blocks to the west.

Mark Ferguson, owner of Ferg's Sports Bar, told the Tampa Bay Times he purchased the sign in an auction for $5,060.

He plans to move it to the corner of 13th Street and Central Avenue, right next to his bar.

Ferguson, a St. Petersburg native who opened Ferg's in 1992, said he wants to keep the sign "original" with a few minor changes.

"If you look down the side where it says 'liquors,' we're going to put 'Ferg's' on there, and where it says ' drive-in' we're going to put 'famous', so it will say Ferg's World Famous," he said. "We're also going to get the globe moving again, and make it light up."

Ferguson said he's currently working with the city and engineers to figure out the details on moving it. He said he'll first have to remove a large oak tree that's on the corner of 13th Street now.

"The city's happy," he said. "Everyone's happy."

Ferguson said half the money from the auction would be donated to the Kiwanis Club, and the other half would go to the Boley Centers.

Last month, Milhaus Development of Indianapolis closed a deal to buy the entire block that includes the World Liquors store and its highly-recognizable sign.

World Liquors owner Paul Misiewicz said at the time that Milhaus had no interest in incorporating the sign into its plans for a $50 million, six-story development with hundreds of residential units and retail space.

PREVIOUSLY: After half a century, World Liquors sign may finally come down

PREVIOUSLY: Want to own the World Liquors sign? Let the bidding begin