St. Cloud council votes to replace 'Center Place' tagline with 'Soldier City' effective July 4

The St. Cloud City Council voted unanimously at a June 15 special meeting to discontinue use of the "Center Place" tagline and to adopt "Soldier City" as the city's sole tagline, with the change to be effective July 4.

Mayor Robertson put the motion before the council, specifying the transition dates: "discontinue use of the Center Place tagline effective, the last day, July 3, and the new tagline, Soldier City, effective July 4." The motion was seconded and carried 5–0 after roll call.

City staff and the city manager said they had researched how the tagline was originally approved: the City Attorney noted the tagline had been part of formal council action in January 2021, so removing or changing it required council direction. Staff described that some wayfinding signs displayed the logo with a "CRA" mark while others did not; signs not purchased by the CRA can be updated to remove "CRA." The city manager said the water tower currently displays the tagline and is painted approximately every five years, and staff will inventory all city facilities to estimate replacement costs before making broad purchases.

Councilors discussed a phasing approach so that items are updated as they are replaced to avoid large upfront costs. The clerk recorded the vote as 5–0 in favor; the motion takes effect according to the dates in the motion. The council did not set an implementation budget during the meeting and asked staff to return with cost estimates and recommended timelines.