LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- The University of Louisville

has begun work tearing down

the iconic silos that sit between I-65 and the school's campus. 

"There is some old equipment, some furnishing that we think we can get an awful lot of money for and that will defer the cost of having to tear down the silos," spokesperson

Mark Hebert said in June

of the impending contract to tear down the structure. 

Solae, a subsidiary of DuPont, closed its Louisville operation at the end of 2012. Its plant converted soybeans into materials used in industrial products such as paper, adhesives and ink. The property has seen a number of different owners and uses since 1919 when operations first began on the site. 

The 22 silos, made of concrete and steel, are believed to have been built about the same time.

The U of L Foundation purchased the silos and the entire Solae property for $3.3 million late last year. The school wants drivers to see a clear view of the growing U of L campus. Eventually, U of L hopes to build on the land.

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