why don't you just create a directory "NEW STRUCTURE" in the same db?
I have my items in the folder "root", so that when I hoist it, I don't see Recycle Bin, Templates, ... you could maybe do the same and thus have a clear structure like this
MyDatabase
└root
└new structure
└imported items
└recycle bin
└templates
When you hoist "root", you'd be working in your old structure, you hoist "new structure", and you work there ... once you are convinced, just delete root ...
simple and clean ...
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