This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2008, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
After sitting for 117 years in the same spot, the Odd Fellows Hall might have a few aches and pains when it moves to make way for a new federal courthouse this summer.
There's no guarantee the historic building will still be in one piece after its trip across Market Street in downtown Salt Lake City. After all, it's old, big, heavy and already crumbling in spots. The structure will also have to make a 180-degree turn, a difficult move considering its age.
"There's potential that this building may come down even after all we've done," said Alan Rindlisbacher, director of corporate marketing for Sandy-based Layton Construction, the company hired to handle the move.
But the movers are doing their best to make sure the 48-foot tall, 3,000-ton hall has a safe journey, which probably will take place in June. They're spending up to three months getting ready for the weeklong trip, which will move at an excruciatingly slow pace.
"You don't want a whole lot of movement," Rindlisbacher said. "We move inches at a time."
Restoration work will take a few months and the building probably will end up in better shape than it is now, Rindlisbacher said. The General Services Administration (GSA), the federal agency in charge of government property, is paying $5.9 million for the move.
The move, as well as the planned purchase of the Shubrick Building, will open up space just west of the Frank E. Moss U.S. Courthouse at 350 S. Main St. for a new courthouse.
The transit will begin with workers jacking up the building, digging out under the foundation and placing 55 dollies underneath. The hall will be rolled a little to the west, then rotated 180 degrees. After the old foundation is filled in, it will be moved back to its original location.
Next comes a move across Market Street and, finally, a step east to its destination, catty-corner from its former location. The dollies will be operated by a master hydraulic control unit that will synchronize their movement. Restaurants on Market Street will remain open.
Emmert International, based in Clackamas, Ore., is providing the machinery for the move. Rick Albrecht, a supervisor with the company, said Emmert has moved big buildings before but this job is unusual because of the age and size of the hall.
However, the move is doable, he said.
"It's all preparation," Albrecht said. "Our company usually moves something everyone else shies away from."
In addition to the Odd Fellows, the hall has been home to various offices and restaurants. The GSA plans to sell the hall after the move.
If all goes as planned and Congress allocates construction money in fiscal year 2009, the new courthouse would open for business in April 2012, according to the GSA.
The building will have 368,446 square feet and the final project cost is expected to be between $200 million and $250 million. The old courthouse - which does not allow prisoners, judges and the public to be routed down separate corridors as a safety measure - is scheduled to be modernized once the new building is up and will house the U.S. Bankruptcy Court and U.S. attorneys.