Mansion yours if you pay to move it

BISMARCK, N.D. — If you want to live in a governor’s mansion without being elected, North Dakota has a deal for you. With a catch.

The state wants to preserve the 10,000-squarefoot home that has served North Dakota’s first families for 57 years, while making way for a larger $5 million mansion. But that means the sprawling house needs to be moved. No later than September.

Unpretentious and sturdy, the prairie-style brick Governor’s Residence has stood since 1960 as a metaphor for the state. Lawmakers have been attempting to replace the home for years, saying it doesn’t dazzle visiting dignitaries, has security issues, is not handicapped-accessible and likely contains lead paint, mold and asbestos. And the roof leaks.

Still, Capitol Facilities Manager John Boyle said at least two people have expressed interest in moving the home, a local physician and an “elected state official” he wouldn’t name. Proposals for the project will be taken through Aug. 2. If the home isn’t moved by the end of September, it will be demolished, he said.

“It’s got to be the right person and the right situation,” Boyle said.

A home that size and that old could cost at least $250,000 to move, said local house mover John Schmidt, whose business has been around for four generations. He also noted that moving the home, in the heart of Bismarck, could be a logistical nightmare in part because there are many trees in the area.