Fate of Lone Star?

Right now it's slated to go. The City plans to spend $10M to buy and move Lone Star as part of the Bass Pro/Pyramid/Pinch Project. But maybe there's another option or two worth considering. And whatever we do, the goal ought to be increased public access to the harbor.


Long a fixture on the Memphis waterfront, Lone Star's terminal (now owned by Buzzi Unicem) is used to store and ship cement. Design-wise, the size and bulk of the silos balance the Pyramid, and the sign is iconic enough that
it doubles as the logo for

the Memphis Convention & Visitors Bureau



and the Memphis travel iPhone app.




A Commercial Appeal editorial says its long been a wish of downtown boosters to get rid of Lone Star, but times change, and if we could save $10M and keep an on-going/taxpaying business downtown....
Baltimore took this option when redeveloping their harbor. The Domino Sugar Factory remains a vital waterfront business, and its sign is a Baltimore icon. Click HERE to read more.

Or, if we go ahead with the idea to buy and relocate Lone Star, what about converting the silos to a hotel, keeping the sign, and making sure there's a public pathway along the harbor?