The building has been raised 11 feet off the ground, and its foundation has been removed. It now sits on five large, jack-equipped steel beams and a mat formed by stacks of lumber.

Once concerns about the travel route are resolved, Emmert will use 56 transportation dollies to slowly roll the building 60 feet to the west. The building then will be rotated 180 degrees so it faces south and moved back to its original location. It will then be moved north across Market Street and finally east to its new home.

Delays and unexpected costs associated with the move have boosted the project's price tag from $5.9 million to $6.7 million. The GSA, an arm of the federal government that secures property for government uses, has approved the additional funding, said Leigh Ann Bunetta, GSA spokeswoman.

Layton Construction is under contract to complete the relocation of Odd Fellows Hall by March 24. So far, the contractor has not asked for an extension, Bunetta said.

"If there were (a request for an extension), we would evaluate that and determine whether or not that was something the government schedule for the overall construction of the courthouse could accommodate," she said.

The new U.S. District Court building is planned for construction directly west of the Frank E. Moss Federal Courthouse.

---

E-mail: jpage@desnews.com