The historic neon sign for the now-gone The Tropics restaurant in Lincoln, Illinois, may return to a parking lot at a McDonald’s along Route 66 by spring 2018.
That scenario became more likely after the city approved an easement with Franchise Realty Investment Trust on behalf of the McDonald’s to install the sign at the lot at the corner of Woodlawn Road and Lincoln Parkway (aka Route 66), reported the Lincoln Courier.
The city will take on responsibility for liability insurance and repairs to the sign.
The newspaper reported:
Earlier this year, the city agreed to put $17,000 toward restoration and display of the 4,200-pound, neon-lit sign.
Prior to its removal in 2014, the sign had been a fixture at the busy intersection since its installation at the restaurant in the early 1960s.
The family of Bev and Lew Johnson, longtime owners of the Tropics, donated the iconic restaurant sign to the city in 2013 because they felt it should remain in the community that supported the business for all those years.
The Logan County Tourism Bureau also will install a plaque at the future site of the sign, describing its historic significance to Lincoln and pointing visitors to other attractions.
The Tropics opened in 1950. Original owner Vince Schwenoha once lived in California and drew inspiration from its palm trees when he dreamed up of his business in Illinois. The restaurant went through a spate of closings and reopenings after Interstate 55 bypassed the town.
(Vintage image of The Tropics sign via GoFundMe.com page)
I do not know what the word is to describe the sign of a unique restaurant with, no doubt, a long history of diners who appreciated the Tropic’s individual ambiance and food on offer being erected in one a fast food chain’s car parks. Any offers?