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Blue Springs, MO —
(Note: this has been reposted to correct the name of the Howard Brown Public Safety Building.)
The third time has to be a charm when it comes to relocating the Chicago and Alton train depot.
Mary Potter, president of the Blue Springs Historical Society, said this week that the one-story historic structure located off Main Street will be, without a doubt, moved to its new home in Central Park on June 29.
“Everything is ready to go,” Potter said.
Of course, everything appeared to be ready to go on May 21, the original date of the move. But that date was scrapped and June 4 was penciled in as the definitive date. And once again, another issue popped up – liability insurance to move it, which increased from $1 million to $3 million.
Potter said Kansas City Southern, however, told her recently that they would not require an increase to the insurance.
In the meantime, volunteers and supporters of the group have been preparing the building and its future site for the move. On Wednesday, the cement foundation was poured at its new location and additional preparations were made at the building.
Also on Wednesday, Potter got word that a local resident, moved by stories that have been appearing in The Examiner about the relocation effort, donated $5,000.
“And that’s it – we raised all we needed to raise for the move,” Potter said.
Most significantly, the Wednesday donation satisfies the monetary match presented by an anonymous resident, who promised $25,000 if the group raised the same amount.
So on June 29, the depot will be uprooted before 9 a.m., then transported along Main Street, due east, before it’s turned south on 11th Street and to its new home at Central Park, specifically right across the street from the Howard Brown Public Safety Building.
Patton Building and House Moving Inc. of Kansas will perform the job.
Both the police department and utility workers will be present to direct traffic and lift one lone power line as the structure makes its way to its new home. One of the police officers helping with traffic assistance was a former student of Potter’s when she taught middle school, which has been a common occurrence since the group, Save Our Depot, formed last summer.
“I keep meeting a lot of people from days back,” Potter said. “It’s been a wonderful experience.”
The cost of moving the structure is approximately $16,000, and Potter said most of the in-kind work associated with the structure is in place.
(Note: this has been reposted to correct the name of the Howard Brown Public Safety Building.)
The third time has to be a charm when it comes to relocating the Chicago and Alton train depot.
Mary Potter, president of the Blue Springs Historical Society, said this week that the one-story historic structure located off Main Street will be, without a doubt, moved to its new home in Central Park on June 29.
“Everything is ready to go,” Potter said.
Of course, everything appeared to be ready to go on May 21, the original date of the move. But that date was scrapped and June 4 was penciled in as the definitive date. And once again, another issue popped up – liability insurance to move it, which increased from $1 million to $3 million.
Potter said Kansas City Southern, however, told her recently that they would not require an increase to the insurance.
In the meantime, volunteers and supporters of the group have been preparing the building and its future site for the move. On Wednesday, the cement foundation was poured at its new location and additional preparations were made at the building.
Also on Wednesday, Potter got word that a local resident, moved by stories that have been appearing in The Examiner about the relocation effort, donated $5,000.
“And that’s it – we raised all we needed to raise for the move,” Potter said.
Most significantly, the Wednesday donation satisfies the monetary match presented by an anonymous resident, who promised $25,000 if the group raised the same amount.
So on June 29, the depot will be uprooted before 9 a.m., then transported along Main Street, due east, before it’s turned south on 11th Street and to its new home at Central Park, specifically right across the street from the Howard Brown Public Safety Building.
Patton Building and House Moving Inc. of Kansas will perform the job.
Both the police department and utility workers will be present to direct traffic and lift one lone power line as the structure makes its way to its new home. One of the police officers helping with traffic assistance was a former student of Potter’s when she taught middle school, which has been a common occurrence since the group, Save Our Depot, formed last summer.
“I keep meeting a lot of people from days back,” Potter said. “It’s been a wonderful experience.”
The cost of moving the structure is approximately $16,000, and Potter said most of the in-kind work associated with the structure is in place.
Potter said volunteers will need to remove the chimney from the building this week or next, and she said she still needs heating and cooling representatives to give her estimates for future work. Volunteers are also needed for stucco work.
By moving the depot on June 29, that puts the group behind the effort 31 days out from the July deadline to move the building.
Potter, a former history teacher, has since discovered other interesting tidbits about the structure, namely that construction on the current building was finished on June 24, 1926.
“It’s kind of interesting that we’re moving it close to that date,” she said.
She also discovered that when the original building burned down in 1920, two box cars were brought in to serve as a replacement until a new building was finished. For six years residents of the little town called Blue Springs petitioned for a new building to be built.
“And now here we are, all these years later...” Potter mused.
