[Source: Jahna Berry, Arizona Republic] — The newly restored 100-year-old Morin House is standing tall in a new neighborhood. Two years ago, Phoenix resident Dan Klocke put the historic house on the back of a flatbed truck to prevent developers from tearing it down. After more than $900,000 in renovations, the building is now an insurance office. It sits on a bustling downtown Phoenix block with restaurants, apartments and businesses. “This (project) is preserving some important history in Phoenix, filling in a gap in the neighborhood and bringing some life into Phoenix,” Klocke said.
The renovated house got its first tenant, a regional Aflac office, in May. The milestone caps a two-year odyssey for the 1909 building. The two-story brick home originally stood at 1115 N. Second St., and was once owned by M. Edward Morin, owner of the Phoenix Bottling Works, a major employer at the time. The house’s former owners opposed the city’s 2004 effort to put the property on the city’s historic register. Later, they made plans to put the house up for sale and asked the city for a demolition permit. But the owners also were willing to give the house away to anyone who wanted it. “So I got the house for free, but it wasn’t free to move it,” Klocke said with a laugh. [Note: To read the full article, click here. To view a slide show on the building’s move, click here.]
Downtown Voices Coalition 