Everyone is familiar with the Budweiser Eagle sign that sits in sight of the westbound lanes of Highway 40 in Grand Center. But have you ever taken a look at the building it sits on?
Apparently it was one of the few buildings not torn down in the leveling of the Mill Creek Valley, of which it was a part. Its actual address is for a street that doesn't exist anymore with the building of the interstate, 3562 Market Street.
It also sits on what is probably one of the
strangest shaped pieces of property in the city, an oval completely surrounded by highway and an exit ramp.
Imagine, sixty years ago while standing at this doorway below you would have been looking out at Market Street, or as it was alternately known as, Manchester Avenue. Apparently Anheuser Bush fixed up the sign back in 1997 at a cost of two million dollars.
It was last the site of Sterling Lacquer, which still owns the building but has since moved to a more convenient location at Brannon and Arsenal. I've heard the eagle sign itself came from the old Sportsman's Park on North Grand Boulevard.
Everyone is familiar with the Budweiser Eagle sign that sits in sight of the westbound lanes of Highway 40 in Grand Center. But have you ever taken a look at the building it sits on?
Apparently it was one of the few buildings not torn down in the leveling of the Mill Creek Valley, of which it was a part. Its actual address is for a street that doesn't exist anymore with the building of the interstate, 3562 Market Street.
It also sits on what is probably one of the strangest shaped pieces of property in the city, an oval completely surrounded by highway and an exit ramp.
Imagine, sixty years ago while standing at this doorway below you would have been looking out at Market Street, or as it was alternately known as, Manchester Avenue. Apparently Anheuser Bush fixed up the sign back in 1997 at a cost of two million dollars.
It was last the site of Sterling Lacquer, which still owns the building but has since moved to a more convenient location at Brannon and Arsenal. I've heard the eagle sign itself came from the old Sportsman's Park on North Grand Boulevard.
Leo Mitchell owns Sterling Lacquer and the building. He is also the owner of the Armory. He is a minimalist when it comes to investing in his properties. He is also getting up in age so soon he'll be able to leave his children illiquid real estate and as a result huge estate tax bill.
ReplyDeleteBoy - "a minimalist" says a lot more than the minimum!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great euphemism!
I frequented the Armory in the later '60s as part pof a unit based there. It is a fabulous building with many nooks and crannies, including a swimming pool, hadball courts, (I believe) a squash court, and I recall a pistol and rifle range (could be wrong on one of those), huge offices, a simply immense drill floor and a basement suitable for parking many dozens of vehicles, with a ceiling high enough for deuce-and-a-halfs.
It's a shame a GOOD use has not been found for such a sturdily constructed building.