See how massive buildings are moved in one piece, including an 850-ton Chicago apartment and a 35-room Florida hotel

The Vautravers Building in Chicago was built in 1894, preceding the city’s metro system (visible to the right of the apartment).

Source: Wolfe House & Building Movers

In August, the Chicago Transit Authority decided to move the three-story brick apartment building in order to “straighten and expand” the nearby train tracks.

The historic structure weighed 840 tons and required “several layers of steel beams, unified jacking machines, X/Y skates, and push-pull rams” to slide it 30 feet west and 4 feet south, according to the moving company.

Source: Wolfe House Building & Movers

Moving entire buildings like this one is a process known as “structure relocation.” It can cost upwards of $1 million depending on the building’s size and weight, the distance of the move, and any obstacles along the move route.

While there are many reasons property owners choose to relocate buildings, Mike Brovont of Wolfe House Movers told Insider that “moving away from a busy road and/or saving it from demolition” are two of the most common reasons he hears from clients.

This shelter house at Orchard Beach State Park was moved away from its perch on Lake Michigan due to the eroding shoreline.

The historic landmark was moved 1500 feet on 27 Buckingham Dollies with “its two fireplaces, concession side room, restrooms, and concrete slab floor” intact, Wolfe House Movers said.

Hurricane and flood risks have caused a surge in house-lifting projects this year, construction companies previously told Insider.

Source: Insider

The 35-room Belleview Biltmore Hotel near Tampa, Florida, was “one of the heaviest frame buildings ever moved,” weighing in at 1750 tons.

Source: Wolfe House & Building Movers

The 119-year-old structure included eight multi-story fireplaces. Wolfe House Movers rotated the hotel 50 degrees and moved it 350 feet.

Most building relocations — both large and small — use the “self-propelled Buckingham Power Dolly System,” Brovont told Insider. The dollies are remote-controlled and can move forward, backward, and jack the structure upward.

While some buildings just need to be moved or rotated on-site, other clients want their homes moved miles down the road.

When this happens, the relocation company must coordinate with state or local police to shut down the roads.

Below, you can watch the Pollocksville Depot in North Carolina move a quarter-mile down the street after it was flooded by Hurricane Florence in 2018.

For all moves, a “Cargo or Riggers” insurance policy is needed to specifically cover the house during relocation, Brovont told Insider.

Do you have a story to share about moving a large structure in one piece? Email the reporter at htowey@insider.com