3.5 million pounder is ready to roll in Idaho

Once the building is moved, it will come to rest two blocks north and one block west of its present location, on land donated by the LDS Church in Benson Park, which is named after the former church president.

The site has been excavated, the footings poured and rebar protrudes from the concrete, awaiting the day when the building will crawl over the hole for its new foundation. Columns of concrete and reinforcing steel will be poured around the rebar before a new foundation is formed up from the ground to the base of the building, Linton said.

Plans call for restoring the building to become a self-supporting community cultural center. The local chamber of commerce has signed a letter of intent to inhabit the building and help arrange for community functions and tourist promotion.

Both Linton and Hampton agree the entire project is something of a "miracle" for them.

"There were actually bets going on with people in the city over whether it would ever be moved," Linton grinned. "But a lot of those who won those bets put the money into a pot to help move it."

With every little donation a step closer to restoring the building, Hampton said restoration officials are considering holding a fund-raising contest to see who can pick the exact day and time the building will come to rest over its new foundation spot.

"We don't know if that's legal yet, but we'd like to do it," Hampton said.

And they're keeping their fingers crossed that Dodge will want to hook on to the massive load and pull.

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E-mail: carrie@desnews.com