The familiar red “1st” sign atop downtown St. Paul’s First National Bank Building is glowing again after being dark since 2024.
The 50-foot-tall, three-sided sign was officially relit Aug. 6 during a public celebration, returning one of the capital city’s most recognizable features to the nighttime skyline. The sign, built in the early 1930s, will now be illuminated each evening from dusk to dawn.
The relighting comes after the Downtown Revival Trust, led by real estate investor Jamie Rand, acquired the First National Bank Building this spring. The trust says it is investing millions of dollars in improvements to the historic property and has also acquired the nearby Great Northern Building.
“This sign has been a part of the St. Paul skyline for nearly 100 years. It is time for it to shine brightly again,” Rand said. “The ‘1st’ sign is a symbol of this great city, and this relighting is a representation of exciting things to come.”
The First National Bank Building, 332 Minnesota St., contains about 660,000 square feet across three towers. The oldest is a 16-story tower completed in 1914, followed by the 32-story West Tower in 1931 and a seven-story North Tower in 1971. More than 35 tenants currently occupy the complex, including the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Social Security Administration and Minnesota Secretary of State Business Services.
Joe Spencer, president of the Saint Paul Downtown Alliance, characterized the restoration as part of broader efforts to reinvest in downtown.
More information about the building’s owner is available from the Downtown Revival Trust: downtownrevivaltrust.com.
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