A game of Scrabble in the sky has been playing out atop the Pillsbury A-Mill complex along the Mississippi River in Minneapolis.

One by one, a crane has been replacing the letters of the recently refurbished "Pillsbury's Best Flour" sign.

Those blinking red neon letters helped light the night sky for more more than 70 years, but by 2014 the letters and the metal structure they hang on were dilapidated, so were taken down and shipped off to Lawrence Sign in St. Paul for a $100,000 restoration.

The former mill complex — one of the most historic buildings in the Midwest — was recently converted into the A-Mill Artist Lofts by Twin Cities-based Dominium.

"This is an exciting milestone for us," said Dominium developer, Owen Metz. "We've done a huge amount of work preserving the iconic landmark and restoring these buildings to their original character. Now we have a chance to restore the skyline of the St. Anthony Main area and the city of Minneapolis."

JIM BUCHTA

Once the sign is complete, illumination should be restored sometime in November.