January 16, 1915
RECORD AND GUIDE
113
BRONX INDUSTRIES AND COMMERCE
Their Development the First Local Problem of the Day
—The Advantages the Borough Holds Out to Them
By ROBERT J. MOOREHEAD
Superintendent of Buildings, Borough of the Bronx
TH E development of industrial and
commercial interests in the Borough
of The Bronx is practically in its in¬
fancy, although many factories are locat¬
ed within its confines. This develop-
tions in the Bronx are ample for all
present needs. It can be reliably shown
that 41 per cent, of the living apart¬
ments in tenement houses provided in
New York City during the past five
years, were built in the Bronx, as com¬
ment is a great problem, and is of vital pared with 30 per cent, in Manhattan,
importance to all, as the progress of a 23 per cent, in Brooklyn and 6 per cent
community is, to a certain extent, con- in Queens.
tingent upon its industrial growth; and (d) Public Parks. There are over
in order to interest manufacturers and 4,100 acres of park lands in the Bronx
induce them to locate in the Borough of to attract homeseekers. Public parks
the Bronx, its many industrial adyan- for recreation purposes are an impor-
tages must be clearly and concisely tant consideration in the establishment
demonstrated. of a manufacturing centre, and in this
Many of the large manufacturers, who, respect the Bronx has a decided advan-
for a number of years have been operat- tage over all other boroughs,
ing in the Borough of Manhattan, are (e) Transit Facilities. Over 160
now finding it expedient to remove their miles of trolley lines criss-cross the
plants to adjacent boroughs; and as the streets and avenues of the Bronx, mak-
Bronx possesses many advantages oyer ing almost every section of the bor-
the other boroughs, there is no logical ough accessible from any other point
reason why it should not receive the In addition, nearly 50 miles of subways,
first consideration. ^ elevated lines, steam and electric rail-
This borough has great possibilities roads traverse the borough, insuring
and is destined to become the largest quick transportation to and from Man-
and most important manufacturing cen- hattan and Brooklyn. The New York
tre in the Greater City. Among the Connecting Railroad Bridge over Hell
exceptional inducements it can offer, the Gate, from Port Morris to Astoria, is
following may be cited: rapidly nearing completion and will link
(a) Land Values. The cost of land in
the Bronx is moderate and many land
owners are prepared to offer attractive
inducements for the establishment of
manufacturing plants.
(b) Labor Supply. An adequate sup¬
ply of labor is imperative for a manu¬
facturing centre and the supply in the
Bronx is ample to accommodate all.
Most of the workers are at present em-
the Bronx with Queens.
(f) Waterfront. Over 45 miles of navi¬
gable waterfront expressly adapted for
docking is immediately available. This
should appeal strongly to manufactur¬
ers and particularly when one considers
that the waterfront abuts upon land that
is relatively inexpensive.
Looking at the situation from an angle
there is no logical reason why live and
Dr. Paterno Selects Architect.
Gaetan Ajello, of 1 West 34th
street, was selected architect this week
for the new thirteen-story apartment
house which Dr. Charles V. Pater¬
no, president of the Paterno Construc¬
tion Company, is to erect, covering the
vacant plot, 100.8x100 feet, at the south¬
west corner of West End avenue and
88th street. The project, including the
cost of the land, will involve close to
$1,200,000. The construction will be of
the highest type and will contain every
appointment customary in apartment
houses of this class. Of course, plans
have not been given out for estimates
and will not be ready for some time
yet. The thirteen-story apartment house
now under course of construction at the
northwest corner of Broadway and 84th
street for the same owner is also from
plans by Mr. Ajello, who also designed
the twelve-story apartment house at the
southwest corner of Seventh avenue and
SSth street, which Dr. Paterno sold re¬
cently to Mr. Benjamin N. Duke, for
$1,200,000.
--------------♦-------------
Latest Broadway Rumor.
According to an announcement made
on Tuesday, a tentative contract has
been made by a syndicate headed by
Leslie R. Palmer, from the Francis S.
Kinney estate, for a twenty-story office
and loft building to be erected on the
site of the Hoffman House and Albe¬
marle Hotel on the west side of Broad¬
way, between 24th and 25th streets. The
Broadway frontage is 159 feet,'and on
24th street 120 feet. It will be recalled
that ^lans were prepared about a year
agcr by Frank Hemstreet, architect, ol
44 West 44th street, for a twelve-story
hotel and business building to be erect¬
ed on the Hotel Albemarle plot by the
Kinney Estate, but operations were
never started. See issue of April 25,
1914.
ployed in Manhattan and would be im- progressive manufacturers should not
mediately available for factories in the
Bronx.
(c) Housing Accommodations. This
is another necessary adjunct to a man¬
ufacturing centre, and manufacturers
may rest assured that the accommoda-
iocate in the Bronx, the most rapidly
developing borough in New York City,
and I am confident that my expecta¬
tions of a great manufacturing centre
therein will be realized in the very near
future.
The Engineering Foundation.
The Engineering Foundation, inaugu¬
rated by the United Engineering So¬
ciety, is the name given to a fund to be
devoted to the advancement of the en¬
gineering arts and sciences in all their
branches, to the greatest good of the
engin,eering profession and to the bene¬
fit of mankind.
The administration of this fund will
be entrusted to the Engineering Founda¬
tion Board, elected by the Trustees of
the United Engineering Society and
composed of eleven members, nine from
the American Society of Civil Engineers,
the American Society of Mechanical
Engineers, the American Institute of
Mining Engineers, and the American In¬
stitute of Electrical Engineers, and two
chosen at large.
The initial gift for The Engineering
Foundation is from a noted engineer
whose name will be announced at the
inauguration ceremonies, Wednesday,
January 27, 1915, at 8.30 o'clock, in the
auditorium of The Engineering Societies
Building, 29 West 39th street, Manhat¬
tan.
The speakers at this inauguration
meeting will be: Mr. Gano Dunn, presi¬
dent of the United Engineering Society,
past-president of the American Insti¬
tute of Electrical Engineers; Dr. Henry
S. Pritchett, president of the Foundation
for the Advancement of Teaching; Dr.
Robert W. Hunt, past-president of the
American Institute of Mining Engineers,
and Dr. Alexander C. Humphreys, past-
president of the American Society of
Mechanical Engineers.
severed his connection with the firm.
The Ritch-Hughes Comnany has been
joined by the Gerard-Oliver Company,
and the business will be continued at the
above address. With its new organiza¬
tion, the Ritch-Hughes Company is pre¬
pared to give efficient service in all
branches of insurance. The following is
the list of officers of the concern: Walter
A. Hughes, president; Charles H.
Gerard, vice-president; Joseph Maude,
treasurer, and T. C. Oliver, secretary.
------------------------«------------------------â–
Insurance Firm Incorporated.
William T. Ritch has severed his con¬
nection with the Ritch-Hughes Com¬
pany, and has opened new offices in the
Builders' Exchange Building, 30-34 West
33d street, under the corporate name of
William T. Ritch, Inc. The new concern
is prepared to handle all forms of work¬
men's compensation and liability insur¬
ance, as well as all forms of contractors'
bonds. Mr. Ritch was a pioneer as a
specialist on contractors' bonds and lia¬
bility insurance, to all those allied with
the building industry. He is one of the
best-known men among the building
trades. Mr. Ritch has been for a quar¬
ter of a century a member of the Build¬
ing Trades Employers' Association, the
Mechanics and Traders' Exchange, and
the Society of Mechanics and Trades¬
men, of the City of New York. The
following are the officers of the new con¬
cern: William T. Ritch, president; Stan¬
ley R. Smith, vice-president; P. Russell
Wilbur, secretary, and George Rome,
treasurer.
Insurance Firms Join.
Announcement is made by the Ritch-
Hughes Company. 101 Park avenue, that
Mr. William T. Ritch has sold his in¬
terest in the concern and that he, to¬
gether with Mr. Stanley R. Smith, has
New Brooklyn Factory.
L. Schepp. Hudson and Duane streets,
Manhattan, dealer in cocoanuts, contem¬
plates the erection of a fireproof fac¬
tory building at 191 to 205 Washington
street, corner of Concord street, Brook¬
lyn, covering a plot 136x100 feet. De¬
tails have not been completed.
Office Building on Astor Site.
Charles A. Piatt, 11 East 24th street,
has prepared sketches for an eight-story
office building to be erected by Vincent
Astor on the southerly half of the old
Astor House site, at the northwest
corner of Broadway and Vesey street.
The plot to be improved measures 100.7
feet on Broadway and 157.6 feet in Vesey
street. The northerly half of the hotel,
still standing, is owned by William W^al-
dorf Astor, and is not involved in the
building plan. No definite date has been
determined for starting the work.
New Residence at Oyster Bay.
Hoppin & Koen. architects, 224 Fifth
avenue, Manhattan, are preparing plans
and specifications for a country residence
to be erected at Oyster Bay, L. I., for
Sterling Postley, owner. 830 Park avenue.
The house will be of terra cotta black
construction, fireproof, with stuccoed ex¬
terior. It will be two and one-half stories
in height and will cover a plot 40x100
feet. The general contract has been
awarded to F. W. Maher, 320 Fifth ave¬
nue. The operation, which will later in¬
clude a garage and out buildings, will
cost over $100,000.
PubHc School No. 129 Being Demolished.
Old Public School Building No. 129,
situated at Nos. 431 to 437 East 19th
street, is being demolished. The prop¬
erty was turned over some time ago by
the Board of Education to the Sinking
Fund Commission on the ground that the
building was unsafe and undesirable for
future occupancy of any kind. At the
offices of the commissioners on Tuesday
it was stated that the property had not
been sold and that no arrangements
liave been made by the city for other¬
wise improving it.
Charles M. Clark to Build.
Charles M. Clark, treasurer of the
Bradstreet Company, New York Life
Building, is having plans prepared by
McKenzie, Voorhees &: Gmelin, 1123
Broadway, for a new residence of the
American basement style, to be erected
at 713 Park avenue. Contracts have
not been issued.