COLORADO SPRINGS — “My name is Michelle. So I always felt a special connection to the business.”
Michelle Winchell fondly shares memories of going to Michelle’s candy and ice cream shop as a kid.
“My brothers and I would get taken there for birthdays or special occasions when we were kids. I grew up in Colorado Springs, it was always a really special place.
Winchell is among many, many Colorado Springs locals with vivid memories of enjoying the Michelle’s experience.
It was a landmark of sorts on Tejon Street because of its unmistakable sign over the storefront.
“It's one of those iconic pieces of downtown that whether you used to go there as a kid or you drove by for years and years when it was all lit up,” said Carrie Simison with the Downtown Development Authority, “It was just something that really screamed downtown to you.”
Michelle’s opened in the 1950’s, then suddenly closed in 2007 because of financial issues.
Recently a plan started to refurbish the iconic Michelle’s sign so it could be put up somewhere else in downtown Colorado Springs as a nod to a part of downtown history that is nostalgic for many.
The sign was hoisted down from its long-time location at the end of November 2022 and went to a sign shop for a bid on refurbishing it.
“From what we understand it was being stored outdoors at the sign shop. And at some point went missing,” said Simison
Leads in the investigation have hit a dead-end so there is an appeal to the public and a $1000 reward for information leading to the sign’s return.
Contact the Downtown Development agency or Colorado Springs Police with information.
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