"Pillsbury's Best Flour," one of Minneapolis' most iconic signs, is slated to light up the night once again.
A proposal to rehab the sign, which has been dark for several years, is headed to the city's heritage preservation commission next week. The red neon letters, located atop the Red Tile Elevator on the East Bank of the Mississippi River, would get a new life at the same time as a major renovation of the adjoining Pillsbury "A" Mill into artist lofts. Some of the new residences will be located below the sign itself.
The 30-foot sign has stood atop the Red Tile Elevator since about 1940, according to city records. It replaced a similar sign that stood since about 1920, which featured a large flour bag.
In 2010, a contract between Pillsbury parent company General Mills and the building's developer, Schafer Richardson, to keep the sign lit and maintained expired.
The new proposal would replace the sign's neon with LED lights intended to mimic the original look. The conversion will save energy costs, reduce maintenance and will not leak gas, according to a city report.
A supplemental report from Lawrence Sign, which is proposing the rehab, showed that maintenance costs would be reduced from more than $15,000 a year to just under $1,000.
The existing steel letter faces would be reused, but new aluminum backs would be attached because they are rustproof — the current steel letters have rusted significantly. The size, shape, design and color of the letters would remain the same.
Photos submitted by Lawrence Sign show that there is also graffiti on the existing sign. Shari King, of Lawrence Sign, said much of the existing neon is not working.
