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Preparation for the move, however, took more than three months. First, workers needed to secure the house with poles and corner braces so it wouldn’t collapse. Then, they had to install poles that would drag it to its new location.

Workers first broke ground for the luxury complex, Karma Condos, in September 2012, but plans for the historic site have been the main conversation point since its inception.

“Everyone is aware of the circumstances with the house and we plan everything around it,” said Fernando Tito, president of the construction company, SkyGrid.

“It makes the job more challenging, schedule-wise, to plan around it.”

City council passed a bylaw that designated the Irwin house a historic site in 2011.

The two-storey building, constructed in 1873, is unique because it is one of the last existing houses from the 19th century in downtown Toronto and is reminiscent of rare Second Empire styles that boast a distinctive double-gabled roof.

According to Luke Celuch, vice-president for CentreCourt Development Inc., once the condo comes above ground, additional measures will need to be taken to protect the house with plywood.

“But nothing else needs to be done at this stage,” he says. “It’s structurally sound sitting on the slabs and it’s being supported.”

Concerns about the house slow production significantly, Mr. Celuch says. He expects to finish the complex by 2015, but the historic site makes timelines uncertain.

“It may be a very slow process,” he says.

Ms. MacDonald believes that’s what happens when dealing with historic properties.

“[Everything] has to be done with great care and consideration,” she said.

The house is being used as a site office for construction workers, but when the condo opens it may be turned into a retail store or restaurant.

For now though, Mr. Celuch says workers are safe to walk under the house and there are no superstitions to be considered.

“Nobody even pays attention to it anymore.”