Historic Harriet F. Rees House Move – Chicago, IL

harriet-rees-house-chicago-testimonial

To Whom It May Concern,

It is with pleasure that I write this letter of reference for Wolfe House & Building Movers (Wolfe). Thornton Tomasetti (TT) has enjoyed collaborating with them, and in particular Project Manager Jamin Buckingham, for the past 18 months, during which they have demonstrated consistent excellence in working on a very difficult project.

Our experience with Wolfe stems from the Rees House Relocation project here in Chicago. As project managers for the public agency overseeing the move, TT was tasked with finding a contractor that could safely move a historic, over 1,000-ton masonry house (as well as its associated coach house) one city block to a new home, to accommodate a new arena being constructed on the site. We contacted Wolfe in September of 2013 regarding the project, and they were immediately interested. Though they were not selected as the house moving contractor until February of 2014, they met with the project team several times in the interim regarding the logistics of moving the house, as well as anticipated costs.

Once they were selected, Wolfe continued working closely with the team to obtain approval from numerous public agencies, including preparing presentation materials used in public meetings, and
meeting directly with public agencies; they also worked with the general contractor to determine the move’s cost, and ways that they could find savings within that cost estimate.

Wolfe moved quickly once approval was secured for the move. Sensitive to both the landmark status of the house, and the tightness of the new site, they developed a plan to brace the house entirely from the outside, as well as roll the house to the new site, set it down, and then slide it hydraulically the final few feet into position. Once moving day came, they moved both houses carefully and quickly, without damage to either one.

Throughout the entire project, Wolfe demonstrated confidence, thoughtfulness, and conscientiousness that matched their reputation, and they completed their work on time and on budget. I am happy to recommend Wolfe to you. Please don’t hesitate to call me if you have any questions.

Very truly yours,

Thornton Tomasetti

Recent Articles