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                                                      Slated for demolition on August 03, 2011  October 15, 2011
SaveTheMurphyHouse.Org
                        Countdown: 
DEDICATED TO SAVING THE WILLIAM MURPHY  HOUSE
Located at 1601 Rockland Road Wilmington, Delaware 19803

 

 Little Murph given reprieve: 60 more days to live.

Nemours met Wednesday (08/10/11) in Dover with various state and federal agencies and the Secretary of DelDOT concerning the William Murphy House. Nemours has agreed to extend the deadline for demolition by 60 days until October 15, 2011.

Comments on this subject

August 12, 2011  Notice sent to Bob Weiner, NCC Councilman and others:

Councilman,

Wanted you to be aware that a decision has been made to market the Pink House for relocation for 60 more days. (The deadline for applications is October 15, 2011.)  Nemours is going to offer a $50,000 relocation subsidy to any tax-exempt organization that submits a successful proposal to move it 

In addition, the property will be able to be used on site by any qualified individual or organization, with Nemours reserving the right to determine what constitutes a successful application. Note that the re-use grant of $50,000 will only be offered to a tax exempt organization. Two ads explaining both offers will be in the
News Journal this weekend, in the Community News as soon as they can be placed, and in several preservation newsletters in the region.

Here is the copy of the ads-the first is geared toward non-profits, the second is for all individuals and organizations:

HISTORIC FARMHOUSE AVAILABLE to be MOVED

The Nemours Foundation seeks proposals from tax-exempt organizations interested in redeveloping the William Murphy House in its current location, 1601 Rockland Rd, Wilmington, or in re-locating the house within New Castle County, DE.  The Foundation will enter either into a long-term lease for the use of this c. 1840, stone farmhouse with approximately 2,000 square feet of usable space in its current location or donate for relocation the building to a qualified tax-exempt applicant.  Redevelopment/relocation costs will be at the expense of the applicant, although the Foundation will make a $50,000 grant to the successful applicant. Final deadline for proposals is October 15, 2011 and the relocation of the house must be completed before December 30, 2011.   

For details on the house or information required for proposals, please contact Grace Gary, Nemours, 1600 Rockland Rd, Wilmington, DE 19803. 

The house is made available to qualified applicants “as is/where is” and The Nemours Foundation makes no representations or warranties of any kind as to the house’s condition, usability, or ability to be moved . The Nemours Foundation reserves the right to accept or reject any and all proposals at its sole discretion and reserves the right to make such decisions at any time before October 15, 2011. 

 HISTORIC FARMHOUSE AVAILABLE to be MOVED

 The Nemours Foundation seeks proposals from individuals or organizations interested in redeveloping the William Murphy House in its current location, 1601 Rockland Rd, Wilmington.  The Foundation will enter into a long-term lease for the use of this c. 1840, stone farmhouse with approximately 2,000 square feet of usable space to a qualified applicant.  Redevelopment costs will be at the expense of the applicant. Final deadline for proposals is October 15, 2011.

 For details on the house or information required for proposals, please contact Grace Gary, Nemours, 1600 Rockland Rd, Wilmington, DE 19803.

 The house is made available to qualified applicants “as is/where is” and The Nemours Foundation makes no representations or warranties of any kind as to the house’s condition or usability. The Nemours Foundation reserves the right to accept or reject any and all proposals at its sole discretion and reserves the right to make such decisions at any time before October 15, 2011. 

Chris Manning

Senior Manager, Public and Community Relations,
Nemours Administration and Research Building - 1551600 Rockland Road Wilmington, DE 19803

 
From James Hanby:

Bob,

I thank you for the update, however rather then spend the foundation's money on running ads I would instead like to see the foundation to invite several of us who have been active in preservation in general and the preservation of the Murphy House especially to sit down and brainstorm ways to resolve in a way that everyone can feel good about the outcome.

 
The fact remains Nemours took on the house from Del-Dot with the understanding of what it would cost to the rehab it would be and their own estimate is now less then the Del-Dot estimate was. The fact also remains that Al-Zar and Del-Dot each got something they wanted out of preserving the house and Nemours has a duty to follow through with that otherwise the discussion should be how does Del-Dot take the property back rather than what does Nemours need to do to tear the house down. Del-Dot through Former Secretary of Transportation Anne Canby committed to preserving, then chief engineer now also Former Secretary of Transportation Carol Ann Wicks was also a part of that effort that stemmed in part from Del-Dot building part of the road out there on Al-Zar land without first buying it resulting in the location of the road relative to the structure now. When this was discovered a grand deal was struck that everyone, especially those of us on the New Castle Historic Review Board, thought preserved the Murphy House. However the board and the public did not foresee Del-Dot not holding on to the property and hence we find ourselves where we are today. 

 
Sure with the economy and markets what they are it might not be the best time for Nemours to spend the money to rehab but I am not aware of anyone insisting they do it right at this point anyway. Furthermore they just finished spending upwards of $30 million to rehab the mansion, this is a drop in the bucket in comparison and yet it is an important contributing factor to A.I.'s development of his property. 

 
It is also a fact that this whole "$50,000 to remove a structure" offer rarely actually works and I don't know off hand of any examples in New Castle County where a stone structure such as this was moved. You have not only the moving cost which would be out of this world considering the just the power lines alone that would have to be moved, but also the site question, where in this area are you going to find space to move it that is not going to cost at least as much as the rehab to buy. In short to move and rehab the Murphy house you would easily top $2.5 million. I know of no non-profit that has that kind of dollars to sink into this project not to mention you lose a large part of the importance of the house once you move it off site. Former Rep. Ennis once got an estimate of over $1 million to move the Blue Ball Barn and that was over 10 years ago and he was only talking about moving it back several hundred feet on the same piece of ground the state already owned.

 
The Grange was one of the success stories that started as one of these "$50,000 to move our building offers" and yet in the end the Pepe's never saw a dime of that $50,000 as by the time the whole project was finished Sommerton Springs Golf Shop was facing tough fiscal times and refused to pay. 

 
The time line is too short and any effort would require much more time. Even if I had a property already owned today it is doubtful that a proposal could be filed with Nemours to meet their October 15th deadline, let Nemours choose to accept the offer and then somehow manage to get all the permits and approvals from New Castle County in time to have the building off site by end of the year. 

 
As you remember with the Grange time also became an issue and the Pepe's, you and I had to work together to get the County to allow us to "park" the Grange in the parking lot near where it was to be placed until the foundation was ready to receive it. I might add the Grange is a simple wood frame structure and only had to be moved a couple hundred yards. Yet the Pepe's spent hundreds of thousands of dollars in buying land, moving the building and finally doing the rehab. 

 
I say all this not because I don't appreciate that the Foundation is trying to come up with solutions but because as I suggested at the start. The way to come up with a workable solution is to sit down with those of us who have done this and think outside the box.
 
Nemours says the size makes it impossible to make it work for anything they might use it for. I say what about adding on an addition that would make the numbers come up better. I find it hard to believe that there isn't some doctor or health related group that wouldn't love to have an office right across from the hospital. While on the NCC Historic Review Board we willingly went on behalf of a property owner to the board of adjustment to testify in favor of variances that were needed to allow additions to be made to a historic house in order to preserve it. Just ask Anthony Vari what he thinks about that as the house he wanted to tear down in Clay Estates is now the center piece of the development and one that Anthony found he couldn't bear to part with when he finished it so he bought it himself.

 
Finally why limit the $50,000 offer to non-profits? Or for that matter why worry about that at all if someone was willing to take it off their hands under the same terms as they got it what do they care what they want to use it for? They should just transfer it and be done with it.  To the County, to the State to anybody who would agree to restore it where it is, and don't limit it to $50,000 even if they put up $500,000 they would still be at less then half of what the Del-Dot estimate was when they took on the house and they can still claim they helped save this historic house. 

 
If we can't trust the state and one of our most revered state non-profits to keep their promises who can we trust?
 
In the end we don't need fluff newspaper ads or proposals that are more designed to make the Foundation feel they did all they could do to save this house that THEY agreed to preserve. No to resolve this we need a meeting of the best minds in historic preservation that we have to offer in Delaware to partner with Nemours and I have no doubt we can together save the Murphy House, again!

 
 
Regards,
James

From Bob Weiner, New Castle County Councilman:

Chris Manning, Senior Manager, Public and Community Relations, Nemours

302-298-7309 office 302-298-2723 cell

Secretary of Transportation Shailen Bhatt

Dear Mr. Manning and Secretary Bhatt,

 After having carefully considered the thoughtful comments of the Honorable James Hanby and other historic advocates, I join them in urging Nemours and DelDOT to collaborate with community historic advocates to explore other options, as enumerated by Judge Hanby below.

Accordingly, would you be willing to meet with us on site? My aide Lou Hinkle and I are available to meet on Thursday August 18 or Thursday August 25.  

Thank you. Bob Weiner