For better or worse, there'll be a brand new auto-centric White Castle at an already dangerous and muddled intersection.

Panicked rumors began surfacing on social media yesterday afternoon, and thanks to my neighbor Matt, we now see the apocalypse indeed is nigh, for the White Castle at the corner of Spring and Vincennes has closed ... but only temporarily.

The current building is to be demolished and a new one built. I heard this discussed at a Board of Public Works meeting some months back, but forgot about it. I'm told that new White Castle buildings like the one destined for this spot are modeled somewhat on the original castle-like cartoon outline.

I'm not sure if that's better or worse than what's there now.

From the standpoint of this street corner, the real issue remains the intrinsic danger of this intersection, and the fact that Rally's, Walgreen's and White Castle each boast drive-thru windows, translating into greater automotive traffic and a boost in hazards for non-vehicular users, as it's also one of the few places in the city where people walk from adjacent neighborhoods.

"New Albany has a long way to go on street safety," says Broken Sidewalkin an understatement for the ages.

In a much larger sense, I'm an indie kind of guy -- but we all have our exceptions. When it comes to the Porcelain Palace ... the WC Lounge ... it's really hard for me to say "death to chains."

This intersection is such a mess that it's even harder for me to refrain.