User:Ruby2010/Francis Drake Hotel (Minneapolis)

The Francis Drake Hotel was a hotel in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It suffered a catastrophic fire on December 25, 2019.

History
The hotel opened in 1926.

December 2019 fire
In recent years, it had served as temporary housing for people experiencing homelessness; hotel rooms were available for short-term and long-term rental, and it also served as an over-flow shelter for Hennepin County. On December 25, 2019, Christmas Day, a fire broke out at 3:00am that was later determined to have started on the second floor. Approximately 250 low-income residents were displaced. It was deemed too dangerous for residents to return, and by January 3 most of the building had been torn down. As local temperatures were in the 30s °F, Metro Transit provided buses where residents could seek warmth. Other organizations were also on sight to to provide assistance.