Hancock Mansion foundation threatened by Salt Lake City development

“I want to see it stand at least my entire lifetime,” Danell Murdock said, speaking from an upstairs bedroom in the Hancock Mansion that she has since converted into an office. The historic home, located at 444 S. 700 East in Salt Lake City, is currently being squeezed by a wave of rapid urban development.

As construction crews reshape the stretch of 700 East near Trolley Square, the Murdocks find themselves in a tightening circle of heavy machinery and rising concrete. Since purchasing the property in 2013 to house their graphic design business, Design of Today, the couple has watched the neighborhood transition from a collection of small businesses—including local staples like Big Daddy’s Pizza and Fendall’s Ice Cream—into a high-density corridor of apartments and luxury condos.

Construction vibrations threaten the mansion’s foundation

The physical toll of the surrounding growth is becoming impossible for the Murdocks to ignore. The couple reported that heavy equipment and intensive digging have begun to destabilize parts of the home’s foundation, and their driveway has started to slope downward. During the workday, the vibrations are often strong enough to be felt throughout the house, forcing Danell Murdock to move her desk to different areas of her office to find a spot where the shaking is less disruptive.

Beyond the structural concerns, there is a growing sense of isolation as the sky begins to close in. An independent shade study commissioned by the owners indicates that once the current development plans are completed, sunlight will reach the mansion’s windows for only about one month out of the year. “We’ll be in kind of a wind tunnel of walls,” Danell Murdock said.

The development is occurring on nearly every side of the property:

To the North: The former Modern Display store, which had been a fixture since 1980, was demolished to make way for a six-story apartment building.
To the South: A six-story commercial building from the 1980s was recently torn down for a mid-rise luxury student housing project known as Trolley North.
Across the Street: The Phillips Congregational Church, a structure dating back to 1907, was demolished in August 2025 to facilitate new condo construction.

Preservation advocates highlight the tension of urban density

The struggle at the Hancock Mansion is a microcosm of a broader friction point in Salt Lake City’s planning evolution. While the city seeks to increase housing density, the process often leaves historic landmarks vulnerable to being overshadowed or physically compromised. The mansion sits within the city’s Central City historic district, a designation intended to protect the area's character, yet the surrounding buildings are changing at a pace that tests those protections.

A historical of the hancock mansion in boston photographed in

“Often times they’re so contrasting, where you have a big apartment building literally surrounding an old historic home,” said McKay Muhlestein, interim executive director of Preservation Utah. “And I think, if possible, the city should be proactive in trying to promote the developers to be complementary to the other uses on the block.” Preservation Utah. He

The Murdocks had previously attempted to coordinate with developers, asking them to incorporate the mansion into their site plans by including setbacks that would provide the historic home with more breathing room. Those requests were not met, and the current construction trajectory suggests a pattern where the old and the new are forced into a stark, unyielding proximity.

A century of history and local lore

The Hancock Mansion carries a legacy that stretches back over 130 years. Originally built in 1890 for businessman Thomas F. Mulloy, the home passed to Col. William M. Ferry Jr. in 1901. According to history compiled by Rachel Quist, the property was later given to Ferry’s daughters, Kate Hancock and Mary Allen. The home’s deep roots in the community are part of what drew the Murdocks to the property, as they sought to preserve its unique architectural details, including a redwood staircase, original pine flooring, and a Victorian-era fireplace featuring Shakespearean tiles depicting characters from Romeo and Juliet.

Salt Lake City’s $5M Mansions Are Watching Their Lake Turn to Dust — And Utah Can’t Stop It

Mccune mansion salt lake city utah famous mansions via magazine cr jillian cain photography

The house has also long been a fixture of Salt Lake City’s cultural folklore. Due to its history and the long residency of former owner Mary “Hollister” Hancock, the mansion is a frequent stop on local ghost tours.

Despite the noise, the shifting ground, and the loss of sunlight, the Murdocks remain committed to the property. They view the current upheaval as a transitional phase in the neighborhood’s lifecycle. As the new apartments and condos are completed, they anticipate the area will shift from a commercial corridor back into a residential neighborhood.

“It will be a neighborhood again,” Danell Murdock said.