U of L Silo Demolition Project Wrapping Up

The last of the 22 silos remain standing, ready for demolition.

The last of the 22 silos overlooking I-65 from Floyd Street, where they have stood for nearly a century, are coming down.

The silos were owned by DuPont subsidiary Solae until their $3.3 million purchase by the University of Louisville Foundation in December 2013. Although long-term plans are not certain, the 15-acre property will temporarily be used for additional parking for U of L football games and other events at Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium.

In addition to the land use benefits, Kathleen Smith, chief of staff to U of L President James Ramsey, said that the project “will give the university options to expand while clearing the view for I-65 travelers to see our spectacularly beautiful Belknap campus.”

Demolition of the silos began in late July and is expected to be completed in the coming weeks, with cleanup and new construction taking longer.  The tear down is being done in stages to allow for debris to be hauled away before proceeding with further demolition.  The work comes with a $687,800 price tag with the Foundation receiving half of the proceeds from the sale of salvageable equipment and materials from the site – the other half of which will go to the demolition company, NorthStar Group Holdings, LLC.

Click the silo demolition photos below to see them fullsize.