When news circulated last year that The Anchor building would be auctioned off, some wondered what would become of the iconic neon sign that had greeted customers to the restaurant for more than two decades.
Though the sign — which features a red mermaid perched atop an anchor — came down when the building’s new tenant, Johnny’s Tavern, started its remodel, those who have driven past 1109 E. Douglas recently may have noticed that the mermaid is back.
The winners of last summer’s auction — Bobbie Lane Real Estate Group owner Bobbie Lane, her husband, Jonathan Lane, and Parabolic Construction owner Adam Church — paid $1.9 million for The Anchor building plus the two buildings next to it and the buildings’ contents. The mermaid sign was part of the package.
The sign came down when the building got a new coat of paint. But nearly three weeks ago, the building’s new owners made good on a promise to return the mermaid to her watch. The sign is not where it used to be: A new neon sign for Johnny’s Tavern now hangs on the Douglas-facing side of the building where the mermaid was previously. Instead, the landlords reinstalled the mermaid on the west-facing side of the building, just over the parking lot…