Red Rage Pigskin

Where will the funding come from for ANOTHER new arena??!!!

You can't tear down those silos and the dog chow factory soon enough for me.

The NBA will never come here anyway. Too small demographics for a season with that many games and an unwilling UofL to bow down like Memphis did for the Grizzle. Seattle or Las Vegas would get teams before Louisville.

Maybe, maybe not. The firms that conduct these demo's are seriously talented. They rountinely take down taller buildings in the middle of CBD's with minimal disruption. The biggest challenge is the dust cloud generated by the explosives. May only require stoppage of traffic long enogh for the dust cloud to settle (driving visibility to return).

When they took down the Humana building (only 6-7 stories?) for the Yum! they blew it in early AM on a weekend. It is as close to interstate as silos. Don't know if they shutdown I-64 along riverfront??

If they work it right, can probably get a film production firm to pay a fee to film it for an action flick. It will be a very dramatic toppling.

Knock them down, the sooner the better. They are eye sores and make the entire area smell awful! Yes some of you might have some nostalgia attached to those silos, but put yourself in the shoes of a recruit or incoming student. When you see those silos what will go through your mind? I'm sure Tom Jurich already has some amazing plans for that area, I can't wait to see.

Then perhaps like me you should tell your local politician to stop spending our tax dollars perusing an NBA team and honor the contract they signed with UofL. If the city breaks the contract with UofL they will have to pay damages and it will be you and me again who will be picking up the tab for that bill too. Add to that if the city brings in a NBA team there will be costs associated with the re-branding of the arena that tax payers will pick-up. If the city wants to pay its bills on the arena they should do everything in their power to promote more development within the TIF instead of creating obstructions.

You should also stop assuming the terms of an undrafted contract. We don't know if re-branding will be included in a relocation/expansion package or not. There's a decent chance of the tax payers footing that bill but it's no guarantee. Just like the NBA itself, all things are hypothetical at the moment. No need to get all up in arms just yet.

When you have the cities of Virgina Beach and Seattle to name a few who are proposing to build 400 million dollar arenas in an attempt to lure an NBA team I highly doubt those teams will be willing to come to Louisville and play second fiddle. If the city can convince a NBA team to come in and conform to the contract that the city already has with UofL fine more power to them. I just so happen to believe it is naive to think it is going to ever happen but don't believe me I am far from an expert on the NBA go read the article Eric Crawford wrote a few months back.

Louisville *might* be able to support an NBA team, but I doubt it. UofL, however, can not afford an arena as nice as the YUM! center if they were to try to build on on their own. Not gonna' happen. If UofL basketball isn't enough to keep the YUM! center making money, then how in hell is that going to keep a UofL dedicated one making money...? The YUM! center was more than DOUBLE what the football stadium cost!!

As for the Silo's, you could take those down pretty easily without effecting I-65, I'd think. They are awfully close, but still, you could even do a controlled fall away from the interstate; I think there's enough space for that.

I hope they keep 1 of them, for historical reference. Incorporate it into a new student athlete center, somehow. It'd make one helluva' look-out over the campus... Bust a few windows into the side, add floors, and you've got some of the coolest dorm room potential on campus, I'd think. Write Louisville vertically on it and you still get the effect of the current banners.

Air quality requirements would make them have to put up some sort of fabric barrier to minimize the dust cloud. Construction sites aren't allowed to blow a huge amount of dust into the air. Not saying it doesn't happen, but they can be fined big-time if they get caught. A high profile demolition like this one would prevent a contractor from trying to get away with something. There will be dust, but it won't be allowed to impact very much of anything off-site.

UofL has not yet acquired the property, but they would be itnerested. Solae has not decided what they're goign to do with it yet (though they will undoubtedly sell).

http://www.wdrb.com/story/19909093/with-plant-closing-future-of-property-and-silos-uncertain

Kenny Klein, the sports information director for UofL Athletics, told WDRB News the university would be interested in the site. Klein said UofL Athletics Director Tom Jurich recently mentioned his interest in adding a basketball arena to campus. But Klein cautioned those comments were only made in reference to recent talks from Mayor Greg Fischer and others trying to attract an NBA team to Louisville.

UofL spokesman Mark Hebert says the university would be interested in the property but would not speculate if the silos would remain.

"I hate to see the jobs go, but I would love to see those silos gone," said Springer. "It is not reflective of what Louisville wants to be. It's not reflective of what the University of Louisville wants to be. There is just too much potential there with that land."