129-Year-Old Church Being Moved For MGM Casino475-Ton Building On Wheels For 200-Yard Trek |
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Image via MGM Springfield
The Associated Press reported that crews on Tuesday were beginning the process of relocating the church to a site about two hundred yards away. The casino’s gaming floor will be right where the church once stood.
The report said that it took several weeks of delicate work to lift the church off its old foundation and onto wheels for the move, which will take about three days to complete. It comes with a price tag of $800,000.
The building weighs 475 tons, according to wcvb.com.
In order to get the OK to build one of the state’s three new casinos, MGM had to commit to preserving some of downtown Springfield’s history. The church has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1983, according to the AP.
MGM Springfield, a $950 million resort casino, is expected to open in the fall of 2018.