SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — The escalator at HOM Furniture — believed to be the last one accessible by the public in downtown Sioux City — has been taken down. The Sioux City Journal reports that the decision was made last year to remove the 35-year-old escalator and replace it with a staircase.

The 1986 escalator at HOM Furniture in downtown Sioux City, Iowa, is being replaced by a set of stairs shown under construction on Jan. 30, 2021. The escalator had been in constant use since the downtown space at 415 4th St. was occupied by a Younkers department store. (Jesse Brothers/Sioux City Journal via AP)

The change may be a sign of the times; the escalator was thought to be the last one in operation in a retail store in Sioux City and the last one downtown that was accessible to the general public. HOM manager Kyle Chance says the decision was mainly a financial one, noting it would have cost more than $1 million to replace the ailing escalator and keep it running.