Tuesday, October 25, 2005

Museum of Abandoned Armories?

Looking across the river at Rock Island, their riverfront skyline is dominated by our own local building that looks like Katrina tore off its roof, the RI Armory. They can't seem to decide what to do with it. Condos? Commercial? Tear it down? Demolition seems to be one option that has been deleted from the list, so I guess they've managed to decide that its worth saving. I would say it would be a good place and building for a museum, but what else can we make a museum to? We've already got a museum to Roots music, one for John Deere, an arsenal/small arms museum, a planned chiropractic museum, and possibly a museum about the first bridge over the Mississippi. Maybe a museum about the planning and construction of museums? I'm not actually against any of those museums, especially if they draw visitors, but its fun to list them all out. I would have suggested an IL National Guard museum, but there's already an IL Military Museum in Springfield. National Barge Traffic Museum? Maybe us Davenporters can think of something RI should use the Armory for.

As far my opinion, for once I'm not necessarily opposed to tearing it down. If they leave it there, I hope they get started soon on painting it anything but white, and gluing its roof back on.

P.S. I took a picture of it out my window, but it wasn't even up to the mediocre QCI standards, so use your imagination today.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I used to work at the Casino next to the Armory. That place is a rat infested pit, ready to fall in on itself. I would never valet my car at the casino knowing that they park cars in the armory. It seems ready to fall in on itself! It also houses the homeless of rock island in its flooded
basement. Trust me , I know this stuff to be true.