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IMAGES: Timmons Temple on the Move, Relocation to be Completed in April

Contractors have begun the first of several stages to move the 440,000-lb Timmons Temple in Springfield to Silver Springs Park.

Tilton & Sons, of Carthage, began the process Thursday afternoon, a complicated endeavor that requires special equipment and coordination with city crews, BNSF Railway, and others. The first move will temporarily move the structure to the northeast corner of the current property, and may take a day or two.

Credit Michele Skalicky / KSMU
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KSMU
Timmons Temple Prepped for Move

The second move will be the longest, transporting Timmons Temple along Webster Street to the park. Then contractors will begin excavation to construct the building’s new foundation. The temple is expected to be positioned between the park’s basketball court and ball field sometime in April, weather permitting. Infill and renovation will then follow.

The Save Timmons Temple citizen committee had worked to raise money to save the historic black church to make way for an apartment building project.

Greenway Studios, LLC, has set a March 31 deadline for the structure to be removed from its current location. The structure is currently blocking development of the site, slated for new micro-efficiency apartments.

More information about Save Timmons Temple is available at visit SaveTimmonsTemple.org

The first move is essentially a U-turn on the Greenway Studios site, with the structure temporarily parking in the northeast corner of the property. It may take one day or more.

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