Workers on Monday peered and poked at six historic stone medallions on the front of the Star Tribune's building in downtown Minneapolis in preparation for removing them.

Developer Ryan Cos. will remove the medallions from the 95-year-old building at 425 Portland Av. as a precursor to its demolition. It's coming down to make way for Ryan's $400 million Downtown East mixed-use development near the new Minnesota Vikings stadium.

The medallions went up in 1947 during an expansion that doubled the size of the building. Their images represent Minnesota's major industries at that time.

The facade was designed in the Streamline Moderne style by Minneapolis architects Larson & McLaren.

It's unclear how long it will take to remove the medallions "due to lack of original detailed plans on the building's construction and the care required to keep the medallions intact," the company said Monday in a prepared statement.

A determination on how the "Star and Tribune" stone lettering will be removed will take place after company officials evaluate how the letters were attached to the building.

The medallions on the front of the Star Tribune building went up in 1947 and represent Minnesota’s industries at the time.

The Minneapolis City Council approved Ryan's proposal to demolish the building under the condition that it preserve the medallions and reinstall them elsewhere. Once the emblems are removed, Ryan will store them while the city's Department of Community Planning and Economic Development plans for their reuse.

The Star Tribune has not publicly announced where it will move, but a relocation is expected next year.

Danielle Dullinger is a University of Minnesota student on assignment for the Star Tribune. Staff writer Janet Moore contributed to this report.