It's the end of an era, though one which many would argue has been winding down for years now. The 400 Bar, which was once a mainstay of the local music scene and has recently slowed down to presenting only a handful of shows a month, has announced that they will vacate their West Bank location and plan to immediately begin auctioning off memorabilia inside the club.

Details are scarce for the time being, but this message was posted on their website today:

After 17 years of presenting shows, we've closed the old building on the West Bank. Thanks to all the great music fans and artists who've worked so hard to make the 400 what it is. An online auction featuring some of the club's memorabilia starts Friday at 7:00pm on this page. See you in 2013!

Neither Tom nor Bill Sullivan, who co-own the bar, would confirm the sale when reached for comment earlier this month, but business partner Joe O'Brien has told the Star Tribune that the building has been sold to a community leader in the area and that it will likely be converted into a charter school for Somali children. O'Brien also indicated that the club might live on at another location.

The Sullivans have transitioned to presenting shows at other venues in recent weeks; just this month, they co-promoted the Sufjan Stevens holiday show at Mill City Nights. It's possible they'll continue these "400 Bar Presents" shows in lieu of dealing with the day-to-day responsibilities of operating a physical space. Earlier this month, one of the club's operators explained that their liquor license fees were due in December, making it a prime time to consider selling the club.