Moving the Murillo and Henshie-Briggs Row House

[WesternIaGuy]

Does anyone know what time on the 1st they plan on moving it? and is the move on the for the 22-23rd?

[ShermanHillGuy]

MidAmerica Energy continues to feel that it is too cold to move the row house - so the move is pushed back to Tuesday, 2/26/08 - weather permitting.

[wmjindsm]

Just curious, shouldn't they be digging the foundation soon for the Murillo building?

[Better Life dude]

Just curious, shouldn't they be digging the foundation soon for the Murillo building?

Good question. I spoke last week with one of the people involved with the saving of these two buildings. He told me that the mover of the Murillo likes to do their building moves this way:
1. Dig hole for the basement out at the new site w/o building the basement walls
2. Move building to new site and park building directly above hole in ground
3. Then build basement walls underneath the building
4. Lower building onto the new foundation.

Drove by the new lot today and all the snow has been removed from the lot. The outline of where to dig has been marked with red spray paint. Perhaps digging will start Monday? The move is a week from today.

[DMRyan]

A few close up pre-move photos:

Murillo Building










Henshie-Briggs Rowhouse

[Better Life dude]

We need to have a party next Saturday for the Murillo move. It happens in the daytime. Anyone game?

[WesternIaGuy]

Has anyone heard what time they plan on moving the murillo? all i know is in its in the day? But no time given! Anyone?

[QuadCityImages]

I'd even consider coming over to see that. I didn't realize it was currently scheduled for a Saturday. I'm sure I could convince the girlfriend by throwing in a trip to Jordan Creek...

[ShermanHillGuy]

The row house move is now tentatively planned for Friday (2/29) night.

[QuadCityImages]

Has anyone heard what time they plan on moving the murillo? all i know is in its in the day? But no time given! Anyone?

Anybody? Will it take all day, or is it morning, afternoon?

[Better Life dude]

I don't know for sure, but the whole distance for Murillo's move is only about 4 blocks straight down the street without hills or turns, so it would be relatively "quickly". I'd say if your there by 9am or 10am that would work. I'll be around. If you send me a private message, we can swap cell phone numbers and coordinate our efforts. Quadcityimages, are you going to try and make the trip over?

[QuadCityImages]

Probably not, I was hoping it was in the afternoon. My girlfriend and I both work 3rd shift Friday night, so it doesn't look like its going to work out. I hope all you guys take a lot of pictures and videos.

[wmjindsm]

They are digging at the new Murillo site Friday Morning

[Mastermind]

Looks like they are about ready to move!

[zubbylove]

Looks like they demolished the building next to the row house this morning. Per the interview on KCCI they say the Murillo is set to be moved tomorrow between 7am and 9am. Here is a link from KCCI talking about the BIG move.

http://www.kcci.com/video/15449915/index.html?taf=des

[Aulus]

Yesterday afternoon,I drove by the lot where The Murillo is going and they were in the midst of breaking up the asphalt on the lot. today, they have just the start of a basement hole. Also, they had The Murillo rotated about an eighth of a turn, counter-clockwise from its original position and had half of High St. blocked off.

The building next to the row house is now missing its entire 2nd story.

Addtionally, there was a row of three or four cement trucks lined up, ready to go at the Stockbridge construction site.

Things are really going now!

[Better Life dude]

Can't wait till midnight tonight for the moves to get underway. It's sad when this is your idea of fun on a friday night. I'll probably be out there tonight watching. LOL.

[Topothehill]

I forget what order the moves will be. But I was told today that one will take place at 12:01 AM Sat. morning. The other will start the move at 6AM Saturday

[Opus]

Stopped to talk to the Kinter guys after work today on Woodland, the Rowhouse starts moving at 12:01am tonight for sure! Carls Place has an acoustic guitar guy playing tonight too, so maybe a few beers beforehand and we'll call it cheap entertainment!

Also, the Stockbridge project on High Street was going full tilt today too, Koester Const on that project. Weather has really slowed them down, so hopefully see some progress soon.

Anyways, hope to see lots of people out tonight and tomorrow, watching 900 tons of house being moved!

[Better Life dude]

Row House: midnight.
Murillo: Starting in the morning. As the story states: It will be the biggest building moved in the United States this year.

Here's a story from KCCI-TV:

Crews Prep 705-Ton Downtown Building For Move

POSTED: 1:42 pm CST February 29, 2008
UPDATED: 2:52 pm CST February 29, 2008

A specialty moving crew is preparing for the largest building relocation project in the U.S. this year, and it's happening this weekend in downtown Des Moines.

The Murillo Building at 533 14th St. is being moved to make way for the new headquarters for Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield. The new building will span two blocks on Grand Avenue.

The project will cost close to $1 million.

"The Murillo will easily last 200 more years," said contractor Mike Kinter. "It'll be the biggest structure moved in the United States this year."

But how do you move a 705-ton century-old brick building more than three blocks away? That's the project a Des Moines developer presented to the moving crew.

Iowan Jeremy Patterson is tacking the gigantic job.

"You know, we go nationwide. We hunt the big jobs," Patterson said.

Patterson's crew has been working for 17 days to prepare for Saturday's move. The crew slowly jacked the entire building up off its foundation and then moved in an enormous dolly with 192 wheels.

"Now our dollies have motors inside them. We plug in and they actually drive theirself," Patterson said.

Saturday morning, the wheels will start rolling, very, very slowly. They will move the Murillo only 3.5 blocks, but it will take eight hours to get there.

The new site for the building is at 16th and High Street.

"We'll have less pressure per square inch than a semi rolling down the road," Patterson said.

Patterson said anyone who wants to watch is welcome.

DES MOINES, Iowa -- A TV crew is also documenting the mega move. The video will be shown on the National Geographic Channel later this year.

Link to story and video:
http://www.kcci.com/news/15451645/detail.html

[WesternIaGuy]

The move is to start at 7am! Asked tonight as i watched the Rowhouse being moved!

[Aulus]

I was out at the row house site downtown around 12:20 AM when they got it going. It actually went faster than I had expected.

Except for when they got to the intersection of 15th and Woodland, where it arrived at about 1:45 AM and stalled out until I had to leave around 3 AM. I think the problem was there were three low wires/cables over Woodland at 16th Street that were also tied into one or more crossing over 16th, just north of the intersection.

I had to be at work this morning at 8AM (made it, too!) so I was not able to stay for the whole job. I did drive by this morning on the way to work and the row house was neatly parked between its new foundations and Carl's Place. I imagine they will be moving it onto the foundations this week.

I took a lot of photos at various spots along the route and will clean them up in Photo Shop after work today. I should be able to post them later this evening.

Some observations from the night:

There were a good number of families, complete with small kids, at the downtown start site.
Huge number of video and still cameras all along the route.
The movers were scooping up snow from the curbs with a skip loader and spreading it under the tires of the house dollie for traction on the icey parts.
Owen Crist towed at least three cars from Woodland. Come on numbnuts, there are signs every eight feet saying no parking after 11 PM, they've been up all day Friday and you STILL leave your car there?
Some guy came down 15th, southbound, got to Woodland, stopped and stared, mouth open for a good two minutes when he saw the row house. heading north.

[dogbo]

Took a peak at the action this morning around 8:45. The Murillo had been backed away from its original foundation, but not much progress yet. There were several spectators.

[Better Life dude]

Murillo update: It's noon and it's still not entirely onto High Street yet. Lots of delays getting it uphill and off the muddy lot with 200 little tires. 2 HUGH tow trucks are being used to winch the whole building along. Lots of people standing around with cameras, all the TV stations there, the film crew from National Geographic. My bladder gave out after 4 hours and I'm home for a break.

Still lots of action/inaction to be seen.

[Des Moineser]

It seemed they were having problems with the mud. The ground must have thawed overnight.

Was there from 8:30-10:45, but had tickets to the Drake game. It was a good game, by the way.

[Better Life dude]

Murillo update: THEY MADE IT!!! As of 4:30pm today (Saturday) the Murillo has made it's journey west on High Street and has arrived adjacent to it's new excated hole. Once it got to Quick trip, the rest of the way was pretty steady and smooth. Looks for lots of coverage on the local news tonight - check KCCI, & WHO-TV's web sites too. I took a lot of Murillo pics, hopefully after a good nights sleep I'll post some. The National Geographic TV show camera crew was out in force, too. They had even rented a construction lift to get high camera shots.

The space for Wellmark has really opened up now and Sherman Hill feels a lot more filled in.

Talking with the Sherman Hill "elders" these two moves brings the total moves to the neighborhood up to around 16 or so houses and buildings over the years. One of the people involved in this weekend's moves says he's identified at least a dozen other houses that are either historic or in "peril" around Des Moines that would be excellent candidates for moves to Sherman Hill.

Next up on the neighborhood to-do list: Save Kingsway Cathedral and get it developed into something usefulll.

[Topothehill]

KCCI has a really cool time-lapse of the move from a camera on their tower downtown.

[WesternIaGuy]

Was there for both of them today, very exciting. You may have seen me, Red Gloves Pink Camera...(bowered moms digital Camera ) Ill try to post the move from the Digital Camera to youtibe with some music. Too much noice with the equipment to be herad well.

[Better Life dude]

WesternIaGuy: I did not see red gloves and pink camera. Sorry I missed you. You may have seen me: I was wearing purple stocking cap, drinking QT coffee and yelling at two 7 year olds getting wet in snow piles.

What a fun experience today was. There were hundreds of people coming and going throughout the day to watch. There were other house movers from around the midwest who came to see how the big boys did it. I guess the Pattersons are one of the top dogs in the building moving bizz.

Some bystanders I talked with were confused about why any one would spend so much time and money moving buildings. I think it inspired a lot of others that anything involving large buildings can be done. It was also a community event for Des Moines and even a chance to show visitors Sherman Hill. Everyone from the area is excited to have the opportunity for more and more people to move to the neighborhood - especially for the area south of Woodland Ave. You could feel the energy - it could have been the sunshine thawing people out, too.

[Aulus]

From last night, the start of the row house move, as it moves off the original lot:



Moving down High Street:



A little closer:



Turning off High onto 15th Street:



Coming up on Woodland:



Turning onto Woodland:



Home on Woodland:



Same, from the rear: