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REAL ESTATE
BUILDERS
AND
NEW YORK, NOVEMBER, 8, 1913
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ITHE new importance of 149TH STREET*
The Proposed Harlem River Market—Public Buildings and More Railroad Stations Will
Make It a Great Civic Artery — Details of the Market Plan—Two Groups of Buildings.
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NO more useful public service, no
one thing that would at this epoch
help more eflfectively to build up a large
territory, could be recommended than
the construction of a puljlic market so
situated and ordered as to be an instru¬
mentality for providing foodstuffs at the
minimum cost.
In advance of the completion and
presentation of the report of the Mayor's
Market Commission, of which Borough
President Miller of the Bronx is chair¬
man, and John Purroy Mitchel and
George Mc.\neney are the other mem¬
bers, it is known that the erection of
new public markets will be recommend¬
ed for the north side of the Harlem
River at 149th street, at Greenpoint and
at St. George, as well as at or near the
tion lines to its vicinity, and in shaping
the lower West Side into a great whole¬
sale center, will readily accept the pre¬
diction that the Harlem River Market
will have a similar power over its neigh¬
borhood. But tlie Harlem river must
be straightened, the Bronx kills dredged
and two of the piers of High Bridge
must be removed in order to give com¬
merce free play.
A Strategical Point.
The Record and Guide has often read
the horoscope of 149th street. It is
going to be one of the most useful
thoroughfares in the borough. Only a
few days ago the United States Gov¬
ernment took title to the remaining part
of the site intended for a Federal build-
proved, it is entirely probable that a
number of small steamboat lines briijg-
ing supplies from the Hudson River
counties and Sound ports will find land¬
ing places if not terminals on the Har¬
lem when they have been driven away
from the lower West Side.
Layout of the Site.
The market has been divided into:
(1) A general freight yard of 6.55
acres, to be used for storing and switch¬
ing cars and for unloading directly from
cars to trucks or drays, or vice versa.
(2) .A. section under one group .of
buildings where the cars are brought
alongside of broad unloading platforms
of ample capacity. Broad driveways be¬
tween these platforms will enable
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In the report which the Mayor's Market Com
present Gansevoort Market in Manhat¬
tan and Wallabout Market in Brooklyn.
The first plans to come out will be
for the Harlem River Market, as these
are to serve as a model for the others.
The site will have railroad yards capable
of accommodating four hundred cars, a
power house to supply refrigeration,
heat and light, shedded piers, platforms
and buildings fitted for wholesale mer¬
chandising of many and various lines of
supplies. The river frontage will ex¬
tend from the 149th Street Bridge to
Central Bridge, and there will be
18.5 and 9.75 acres in the two parcels
which the commission purpose that thc
city shall acquire. Every part of the
premises will be connected by car tracks
and other facilities for expeditious hand¬
ling of goods.
The Situation and Surroundings.
As this market is to be superior in
size and usefulness to any other in the
whole city, it is bound to have a marked
effect upon real estate in its neighbor¬
hood. Our older readers who can re¬
call the magnetic influence of Wash¬
ington Market in attracting transporta-
PROPOSED HARLEM RIVER MARKET,
mission will make a site for this market on the
Bridge is recommended.
ing. at the corner of Mott avenue, op¬
posite the present subway station, where
the Lexington avenue subway crosses.
Close by, where the Ne,w York Cen¬
tral lines cross 149th street, there will
be a railroad station for through pas¬
sengers and freight. These several cir¬
cumstances will of themselves make
149th street a great center, and there is
a strong probability that the new county
buildings will be erected in the vicinity
also.
The combination of river and railroad
terminals, brid.ges, market and public
buildings, will be an irresistible real es¬
tate factor. Because everywhere else
such a combination has been the mak¬
ing of a great civic center. The pro¬
posed industrial railroad, which the city
will some time build, will pass by the
market and link together Pennsylvania
and New York Central lines, as well as
the Bronx terminals of the New Haven,
Tersey Central, Lehigh Valley and other
lines. It is also apparent that by the
use of the bridges the market will be
available to a large section of Manhat¬
tan Borough as well as the Bronx.
With the navigability of the river im-
Harlem between 149th Street Bridge and Central
wagons to remove so much of the goods
as is not intended to be stored in the
Ijuildin.g above. Elevators and stair¬
ways are provided for transferring
goods from these platforms to the floors
above for sale or for cold or other stor¬
age.
(3) .\ section under the other group
of buildings where the tracks run along
platforms which cannot be reached di¬
rectly by wagons but from which nu¬
merous elevators can remove the goods
rapidly to the upper floors. The floors
on the street level of the buildings in
this group are devoted to stalls where
.goods may be exposed for sale and
where buyer and seller can come to¬
.gether, sample the goods, and buy in
smaller quantities than would probably
be handled in the other .group of build¬
ings, which are devoted to the handling
of .goods sent on consignment. Ex¬
terior street will be carried on a viaduct
through the market, with ramps con¬
necting down to the present track level.
Two Groups of Buildings.
The upper or street level contains the
power plant, which spans the railroad