Townhomes move to make way for new light rail station
SEATTLE - It was moving day in Seattle on Saturday. In order for the new Roosevelt Light Rail Station to go in - some buildings had to move out.
The townhomes at the corner of 66th Street and 12th Avenue in Seattle have stood there for years. But on Saturday, despite a solid foundation, it was time for them to be uprooted.
Four townhomes were moved Saturday and four more will be moved next Friday.
For these structures it was either move or be reduced to 320 tons of waste, because Sound Transit is set to break ground this month on extending light rail to Northgate.
That plan puts a new Roosevelt Light Rail Station right where these townhomes have stood for many years.
"We're moving them about 4 1/2 blocks away to 65th and 15th," says Sound Transit's Kristin Hoffman.
The move saves Sound Transit move than $120,000 in demolition costs. The company bought the homes then sold them to Roosevelt Development Group.
But both sides let the contractors do all the heavy lifting.
"I'd give this a 7 or an 8 on a scale of 1 to 10," says Jeff McCord.
The houses will be pulled off of their foundations and onto the road by a large tractor truck. Then, inch by inch, the truck and the townhomes begin their moonlight move.
"We did have to do some tree trimming in order to make room for the town homes as they travel their path," says Hoffman.
Hours later, that path lead to the corner of 15th Avenue and 64th Street - a new place for an old home to lay a fresh foundation.
The development group says the townhomes will be ready for residents in about six months.
The townhomes at the corner of 66th Street and 12th Avenue in Seattle have stood there for years. But on Saturday, despite a solid foundation, it was time for them to be uprooted.
Four townhomes were moved Saturday and four more will be moved next Friday.
For these structures it was either move or be reduced to 320 tons of waste, because Sound Transit is set to break ground this month on extending light rail to Northgate.
That plan puts a new Roosevelt Light Rail Station right where these townhomes have stood for many years.
"We're moving them about 4 1/2 blocks away to 65th and 15th," says Sound Transit's Kristin Hoffman.
The move saves Sound Transit move than $120,000 in demolition costs. The company bought the homes then sold them to Roosevelt Development Group.
But both sides let the contractors do all the heavy lifting.
"I'd give this a 7 or an 8 on a scale of 1 to 10," says Jeff McCord.
The houses will be pulled off of their foundations and onto the road by a large tractor truck. Then, inch by inch, the truck and the townhomes begin their moonlight move.
"We did have to do some tree trimming in order to make room for the town homes as they travel their path," says Hoffman.
Hours later, that path lead to the corner of 15th Avenue and 64th Street - a new place for an old home to lay a fresh foundation.
The development group says the townhomes will be ready for residents in about six months.
Would everyone outside the Emerald Sprawl of the Greater King County Commute Improvement Zone kindly render a distracted golf clap?
After all, your taxes are paying for all this nonsense and you won't see light rail outside King County in your lifetime.
Â
<clap-clap-clap-clap>
To me the houses didn't look that old but I'm glad they decided to move them and not just tearing them down.
This has gone on since before 1980, Crown Hill Bungalows sold for 40,000. Then if you are to believe the stories, the California  real estate market heated up, they sold their homes and bought two here, driving the Seattle market up. The rezone of Ballard from single family to High density is an interesting story. The Fremont ,Columbia city,Ranier Valley gentrification. Properties, were valued by the square foot, and now it might be more useful to price them by the square inch, like New York. Families on a low budget end up in Kent ,Federal, way, Renton and so on. Considering the reputation of the Seattle public  Schools, the market is doing well. Would  I want to listen to freeway traffic, buses and Aid car sirens blaring night and day, and then pay a half million for the privilege. I guess it's all a matter of taste.
$120,000 in demolition costs? What was the cost of the move?
 @GeorgeG. Well it must have been cheaper then demolition the houses
If only you could get the cost of housing in Seattle down to where working families could afford it! Also, young families want yards for their children to play in. Notice the number of families with children seems to be drying up in Seattle?
Â
We don't all want to live our lives in sterile little 700 square foot condos eating Soilant Green, watching only what the environmental Gods tell us is okay to watch and dressing in government approved clothing.
Â
There are other solutions. Instead of cramming everyone and every job into high density urban cores, perhaps we should look at placing jobs in specific intervals so we aren't all forced to live in "the projects." Perhaps we should look at working from home when possible instead of commuting.
 @Middle Ground I would never want to move to Seattle but I agree their housing prices are to high.
 @Middle Ground "If only you could get the cost of housing in Seattle down..."
Â
Who is "you", and why is it anyones job to get prices down?
We have another boondoggle in this light rail. Â Costs so much, Â serves so few. Â Widen the roads, Â buy a few more buses, Â and don't locate everyone in downtown.Â
 @None Don't locate everyone downtown? You really should take some Planning classes. What you're advocating is "sprawl", which would make the need for more roads, and more rails even greater.Â
@None Tell me how you will widen the roads without getting rid of even more houses than for light rail? Locating everyone out in suburbia is the worst thing you can do because then you continue to put stress on the roadway system that has a finite capacity. In fact, if you have more people located downtown close to work. They can actually walk or bike or use transit instead of a car! Besides, should we demolish skyscrapers to widen roads? That would be absolutely nuts.
like Randall answered I cannot believe that people able to get paid $8225 in 4 weeks on the internet. did you look at this webpage
http://LazyCash49.com
That is so cool. I watched a house being moved a couple years ago and it was surreal!! I'm glad they aren't just kicking the residents out.
 @dancingnights999:Â
Â
According to the article:
Â
".... The move saves Sound Transit move than $120,000 in demolition costs. The company bought the homes then sold them to Roosevelt Development Group ...."
Â
It's not really clear - diud the people already living in the townhomes get to stay in them, or did htey have to leave? It kind of sounds like they got kicked out, it sstates "they were sold".
Â
Anybody with clearer information on this???
The people that were in the townhouses were paid for their units. They had moved away quite some time before the units were moved to the new site. Sound Transit would have saved the demo costs and the developer would have been able to move and set up the houses for half or more of what it costs to build new. These units were around 10 years of age making them ideal to move. Either way it saved over 200 tons of land fill.