Humana.

Has anyone had the opportunity to visit the 500 block of West Main Street that Humana purchased a while back and made into a dining area for employees as well as office, meeting and work space for their business? I know entrance is restricted, but as huge as Humana is for the Ville, I am sure there are people on the forum who have been to the new space. I am especially curious about the new eating space and if anyone on the forum has had the opportunity to dine there and what their thoughts are about that. Any input is appreciated.

By the way, a regular poster on this board posted on the online CJ site and asked " Why is Humana trying to kill local restaurants?" I just don't see that by providing a nice place to pick up some decent food and having a very cool place in which to enjoy their meal is a detriment to downtown, much less "killing" local restaurants. Humana is a giant in this city (and the USA) and dumps millions of dollars all over the Ville in a very positive manner.

Here is the link to the CJ article about Humana's redevelopment of the 500 block. This is the opening paragraph. "A row of historic buildings on West Main Street, built around 1880 but largely vacant in recent years, has begun a new life as an extension of Humana Inc.'s corporate headquarters."

http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbc ... 3/BUSINESS

[Robin Garr]

a regular poster on this board posted on the online CJ site

Why would anyone here do that? I would hope that none of our regulars would feel a need to support Brand X.

a regular poster on this board posted on the online CJ site

Why would anyone here do that? I would hope that none of our regulars would feel a need to support Brand X.

Well, they did. And I am sure we'll find out soon enough. BTW, I have NEVER posted on the CJ site, nor will I ever do so.

[Robin Garr]

I have NEVER posted on the CJ site, nor will I ever do so.

Bless you, my son. Now if we can just get the few remaining subscribers to wean themselves from the newspaper, maybe Gannett will finally give up and go away.

I have NEVER posted on the CJ site, nor will I ever do so.

Bless you, my son. Now if we can just get the few remaining subscribers to wean themselves from the newspaper, maybe Gannett will finally give up and go away.

I am cool with that, but would like this post to get back to the main message. One other point to make, I am too old to be your son.

[Robin Garr]

would like this post to get back to the main message.

Good suggestion!

I have mixed feelings. After all, it's not uncommon for a large employer to have onsite food service. The CJ had an employee cafeteria (not a very good one) during the Bingham era, and I assume they still do. I don't see any harm in this. It was handy for grabbing a sandwich or a plate lunch if you were in a hurry and couldn't take enough time from work to go out, but it wasn't good enough to represent much competition to local eateries.

Now, without having read the story, if Humana (or any other large downtown business) were to devote a significant capital investment to building a high-quality food-service operation that was interesting enough to lure employees into staying in rather than taking their bucks out onto the street, I might wonder about the company's commitment to the community. And if I were a competitive restaurateur, I might be a little bit miffed.

It seems like a judgment call, really, depending on whether the company is providing a simple convenience for employees or mounting serious competition to its food-service neighbors.

would like this post to get back to the main message.

Good suggestion!

I have mixed feelings. After all, it's not uncommon for a large employer to have onsite food service. The CJ had an employee cafeteria (not a very good one) during the Bingham era, and I assume they still do. I don't see any harm in this. It was handy for grabbing a sandwich or a plate lunch if you were in a hurry and couldn't take enough time from work to go out, but it wasn't good enough to represent much competition to local eateries.

Now, without having read the story, if Humana (or any other large downtown business) were to devote a significant capital investment to building a high-quality food-service operation that was interesting enough to lure employees into staying in rather than taking their bucks out onto the street, I might wonder about the company's commitment to the community. And if I were a competitive restaurateur, I might be a little bit miffed.

It seems like a judgment call, really, depending on whether the company is providing a simple convenience for employees or mounting serious competition to its food-service neighbors.

You can trust me on this; it's a simple convenience for employees. I know you're a smart man and know a lot about the Ville and its history. Humana does wonders for this fair city of ours. Wendell and David made sure of that and since Wendell left us, David carries on that legacy. I think anyone who truly knows about Humana's commitment to this city would never question it.

[Robin Garr]

think anyone who truly knows about Humana's commitment to this city would never question it.

Ummm ... ever seen this movie?

<b>Damaged Care</b>

I'm hardly a regular here (except for the past week), but I am the one who raised the question, and I think it's a valid one.

This isn't about Humana in specific but rather it's just another case of corporate indifference about their impact on the small business community.

As a defender of small business, I get very snippy when things like this happens. But, alas, my question was simply based on my reading of the C-J story. It sounded like they were (at best) inadvertently taking business away from the area restaurants.

I don't expect anyone to agree with my intentions for asking. But it's the way I feel.

o brother.......

While you are at it lets get rid of GE...Ford and UPS among other companies that employ a lot of people in this town...

I noticed an ad for a coffee shop that was in the 500 W Main block. It was not Java and was a name I didn't recognize. I'll see if I can dig the paper out of the recycling bin. Anyway it was obviously open to the public.

I've worked for big companies, including Humana, and most have some sort of onsite food service. Brown-Forman has quite a reputable cafe. I'd been invited by employees of B-W when their big corp HQ was here to dine in their cafeteria and it was actually quite good.

Having said that, good onsite food is convenient, does keep the employees onsite and networking or maybe even doing business during lunch, and if I was a big employer with deep pockets, I'd be smart enough to provide onsite food too. In the old days of Belknap (yeah I'm that old) the onsite cafeteria was good enough to encourage a large proportion of employees to arrive early enough to eat breakfast there.

My problem with what I read in the C-J online article was that its run by a California company. What, there are no food service vendors in Louisville, willing to run a corp food service? In a serious food town like this, that's what I get upset about.

This isn't about Humana in specific but rather it's just another case of corporate indifference about their impact on the small business community.

It sounded like they were (at best) inadvertently taking business away from the area restaurants.

So, first they are indifferent about small business, but then it's inadvertent. I think this is just one more chance for folks (you, in particular, Steve, in this case) to pile on a business with more than ten employees as if they are evil. Sometime look at an annual report for the Humana Foundation and consider the amount of money they give away - not only in Louisville, but in many cities where they have operations. Do you enjoy the performing arts in Louisville? Best start thanking evil large businesses like Humana and Brown-Forman every time you attend an event, because someone is subsidizing your ticket to the tune of 50% or more, and a good chunk of it comes from those two companies.

They dont want to hear about that part.......

[Robin Garr]

Do you enjoy the performing arts in Louisville? Best start thanking evil large businesses like Humana and Brown-Forman every time you attend an event, because someone is subsidizing your ticket to the tune of 50% or more, and a good chunk of it comes from those two companies.

Your point is well-taken, TP, and despite Robert's usual brainless sniping, I think most of us understand this and factor it into our thinking about the pros <i>and</i> cons of the corporate impact on our city.

Frankly, this issue came into even more bold relief when Brown & Williamson was a major local player and heavy hitter on the local arts and charity scene. I used to deal with it, too, in another brief post-Binghams life when I had a management post at a national nonprofit. The joking way we used to put it is, "does passing this evil money through our hands cleanse it of sin?" This was a particular issue for our organization because Kraft-General Foods was a major contributor to hunger-and-poverty causes. And also was a major player in the vertical integration of the agriculture industry that was putting small farmers off the land. And for extra credit, was also a corporate parent of Philip Morris.

There are no easy answers, but to make a long story short, you are correct: Many major corporations pay their civic dues, and to that extent, their demise would hurt. And yet ... was there really any lasting impact on the arts scene when Brown-Williamson left town?