Push To Relight Grain Belt Sign Heads To Historic Commission

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – The iconic Grain Belt Beer sign on Nicollet Island in Minneapolis is inching closer to shining again over the Mississippi River.

Minneapolis City Council Member Jacob Frey said the sign relighting proposal will go before the city's Historic Preservation Commission Tuesday night. The Historic Preservation Commission protects and restores the city's historic landmarks.

The push to relight the sign, which was built in 1941, has been years in the making, ever since August Schell Brewing bought the Grain Belt brand in 2002.

August Schell Brewing's goal is to see the sign, which has been dark since the 1990s, as the "best-lit sign" in Minneapolis. The company hopes to have the lights flicker on this summer.

Previously, Frey has said the relighting of the Grain Belt sign was a part of a bigger effort along the riverfront.

Update: According to a representative for Grain Belt, the HPC unanimously voted to allow the sign to change colors on certain locations.