Council to discuss seed building move

    The Washington City Council will hear a proposal to relocate and remodel the Mills Seed Building at its upcoming meeting Wednesday at 7 p.m. in the former library building. Jeremy Patterson, who runs a house moving service in Washington, will present a plan to the council about his desire to move the building, now located at 604 N. Seventh Ave., to the empty lot on North Iowa Avenue where the Chamber of Commerce building once stood.

    Patterson presented his plan to the council?s finance committee last Wednesday, and then to the Washington Historic Preservation Commission later that week. Patterson said he was pleased with the response he received and looks forward to speaking at the council on Wednesday. The historic preservation commission drafted a letter to the council declaring its support for the project.

    The building was constructed in 1900, and in 2005 it was identified as eligible for the National Registry of Historic Places. At the finance committee meeting, Patterson said he is willing to put $2 million of his own money into restoring and relocating the building provided he can receive TIF funding from the city. He said that the city would need to approve the TIF funding soon because of the time limitations he is working under.

    Patterson is the star of the show ?Heavy Haulers? on TLC. He said TLC is planning to film the move, but has stipulated that the building has to be in the air in the month of January. Patterson said he will have one member from the show?s camera crew at Wednesday?s council meeting.

For the full article, see the Dec. 15 edition of the Washington Evening Journal.