Iconic. That’s how Matt Williams, vice president of finance with Red Pine Capital Management, describes the historic neon sign that has so long lit up the nighttime sky from atop the Kahler Grand Hotel in Rochester, Minnesota.
And why not? The sign stands 11 stories above the ground and spells out the name “Kahler Hotel” in towering neon letters. It’s long been a beacon shining in downtown Rochester.
Unfortunately, the sign, built and installed around 1971, had reached the end of its life, sometimes failing to light at all. Age had taken its toll.
But that is changing soon. The historic Kahler sign is now being restored and relit, a major restoration project that will return the sign to its original glory.
And while this project comes with a big price tag, Williams says that there really was no other choice but to bring the iconic sign back to life.
“The sign has been a part of the skyline for over 50 years,” Williams said. “The Grand Hotel is one of the largest buildings in Rochester. I’ve spoken to multiple citizens around Rochester. They all speak fondly of it. They remember the glow of that sign from when they were kids. Now they are full-grown adults an they were sad to see the state it had fallen into these past few years. “
The sign’s metal mesh was rusted beyond repair and the electrical components were so degraded that the slightest drip of moisture would cause the lights to malfunction.
Recognizing the sign’s historical significance to the city of Rochester, Kahler Hospitality Group made the decision that restoring it, despite an estimated cost of $500,000, was the best path forward. This undertaking marks the first renovation to the Kahler sign since the 1980s.
Williams said that the Kahler Hospitality Group had several choices. The group could have taken down the neon sign and replaced it with a standard hotel sign.
“You would have saved hundreds and hundreds of thousands of dollars doing that,” Williams said.
“But ultimately, the group recognized the importance of the sign to the city. It was decided to return the sign to its former glory.”
The biggest change? The letters will now be lit by LED lights instead of neon, bringing the sign into the 21st Century.
“The building is visible from the Mayo Clinic,” Williams said. “The people on the upper floors of the clinic can see that sign every day. There is something to be said for preserving what history we can from this building.”
Not an easy job
Because the sign stood 11 stories above the ground and partially hangs over the side of the Kahler Grand Hotel, gaining access to the iconic feature was no easy task.
But starting this October, when the renovation work is completed and the sign’s letters glow again, the restored sign will once again takes its place as one of the most beloved components of the downtown Rochester skyline.
“The Kahler sign holds a significant place in Rochester’s history,” said Javon Bea, board representative for the Kahler Hospitality Group. “As a company, we felt a sense of duty to rejuvenate the sign, not just as a tribute to the city’s storied history but also as an outward reflection of the extensive renovations we’ve undertaken within the Kahler Grand Hotel itself.”
Construction crews took the neon letters down in April. Behind the scenes, the hotel’s operator ordered the fabrication of the sign’s new LED letters. Crews were ready to put the new letters up in the first half of September.
The goal is to have all the letters back in place and the sign ready to go in October, Williams said.
“Covid was a tough time for the hospitality business,” Williams said. “Unfortunately, those maintenance items needed to wait while we focused on operating the hotel. Now coming out of that period, with COVID mostly behind us and Rochester back on its feet, the hospitality business is doing well again. We felt it was time to make a decision on the sign.”
This isn’t the only work that the Kahler Hospitality has done on the 600-room hotel. Construction crews recently finished a four-year project that stands as one of the most extensive renovations of the historic hotel since it was first constructed in 1921.
Like many older, historic hotels, the Kahler Grand featured rooms that were considered small by today’s hospitality standards. Much of the renovation work, then, went toward improving the hotel’s guestrooms.
“The renovations balanced the history of the hotel with the need to bring the amenities and space that people expect in modern society,” Williams said. “Once you start taking down the walls in a 100-year-old building, you do find surprises. But ultimately, the work went well. The architects and everybody involved in the project did a great job staying true to the history of the hotel while still providing a modern experience to our guests.”
The Kahler Hospitality Group also plans to unveil a Kahler History Museum in the hotel’s lobby, featuring one of the original letters from the 1970s sign.