Mar 16, 2023 - Real Estate

From motel to affordable housing: Two Minneapolis signs up for auction

Audrey Kennedy

Two images of motel signs. One reads Motel, the other reads Aqua City Motel — The Metro Inn and Aqua City Motel signs. Photos: Google Maps

Two old Minneapolis motel signs have been put up for auction as Hennepin County prepares to convert the buildings into affordable housing units.

The starting bid for each sign was $5. As of Thursday afternoon, Metro Inn's is up to $18, while Aqua City Motel's is over $520.

What they're saying: The signs had to be removed so it was clear rooms weren't available for rent, but the county recognized some might find them to be "novel or worth preserving," a spokesperson for Hennepin County told Axios.

Reality check: The signs are used, and there's no guarantee the neon works, according to the descriptions on the auction sites.

Bidding closes on Tuesday, March 21 at 1pm.

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From motel to affordable housing: Two Minneapolis signs up for auction

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