Four historic 19th century homes were lifted onto hydraulic jacks and moved through the streets of Hartford, Connecticut, on Thursday.
Footage shows city residents gathering on the sidewalks to take photos and videos of the more than 125-year-old homes being moved through neighborhoods and into new locations on vacant lots across the city.
The homes were lifted off their foundations and moved intact to their new locations, closing city streets and causing power outages so the three-story homes could pass under power lines. according to WTNH.
One house even had to be split in two to move it from its location on Lincoln Street in the Frog Hollow neighborhood, WFSB reports.
Fortunately, no one was living in the houses anymore. They had been bought by LAZ Parking to make way for a new $60 million, nine-story parking garage for the Connecticut Children’s Hospital.
Residents of Hartford, Connecticut gathered Thursday to watch as four historic homes were moved through the streets
The houses were lifted from their foundations and moved intact to their new locations in the city
The hospital currently leases parking spaces from nearby Hartford Hospital and shuttles employees from outside the XL Center grounds, according to the Hartford Courant.
But the new facility will have more than 900 parking spaces for patients and staff, and will also have a restaurant for staff, patients and their families.
Construction is expected to begin next month and it is It is expected to open between October and November, coinciding with the opening of the hospital’s $326 million clinical tower.
Ultimately, Connecticut Children’s Hospital paid about $1 million to relocate the four homes, with the city contributing another $3 million.
Jim Shmerling, the president and CEO of Connecticut Children’s, said his original idea was to completely demolish the homes, but he discovered they were on a list of historic homes.
He then spoke with members of the Hartford Preservation Alliance and the two groups worked together on a plan to move the homes.
“We’ve had some conversations and we want to be a good neighbor. We’ve worked with the community to preserve these historic homes,” Shmerling said.
“We got creative to meet their needs and meet our needs, and we ended up with something that was mutually beneficial.”
The action began around 9 a.m. on Thursday, closing streets in the city and causing power outages.
The move finally began around 9 a.m. Thursday morning, turning J Restaurant & Bar, a family-owned business that has operated in one of the 150-year-old buildings for the past 54 years, upside down.
“This is a little weird,” Jordan Dikegoros, the owner, told WTNH. “It’s our last day of cooking, and it’s not even happening in the restaurant.
“We’re serving egg sandwiches, bloody marys and mimosas outside this morning,” he said. “People can [then] Watch the houses go down the street, and then this afternoon we’ll have the “last house on the block” party. We’re the last building.’
The restaurant will remain open, however, although no details have yet been released about the new location.
One house even had to be sawn in half to be moved
Meanwhile, residents of Putnam Street, where two of the four homes are being built, said they were happy to see the empty lots being filled.
“I’m intrigued, I like it,” Nehemiah Lewis told NBC Connecticut. “I’m happy for the neighborhood. It gives us a different look, a different vibe.”
The homes will be renovated in the coming months. Shmerling said they may contain “asbestos, mold or other environmental hazards,” which the hospital and city will address before residents can move in.
But Hartford Mayor Arunan Arulampalam, who lives in the Frog Hollow neighborhood where the homes are coming from, has spoken out against the project, which was completed during the previous administration.
The controversial move was made to make room for a new $60 million, nine-story parking garage for the Connecticut Children’s Hospital
“I think it’s important to preserve housing. It’s important to invest in preserving historic buildings,” he said ahead of the move.
“But for those who consider this an absolute victory: I am not among you.”
He said he would have preferred to see the city spend the money on new teachers or youth programs, and he had asked for a housing investment fund to create 12 to 15 new homeownership opportunities.
“Instead, we got a process where we moved four houses from one location to another,” the Democratic mayor said.