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NEW YORK, JANUARY 17, 1914
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INDUSTRIAL DRIFT TO FAR WEST SIDE
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A Remarkable Series of Huge Structures Rising There For Shippers and
Manufacturers of Food Products—Old Chelsea's Appeal For Modem Houses.
«
A BUILDING movement is gathering
momentum on the far West Side
of the city that is unlike any that pre¬
ceded it elsewhere in the city. West of
Ninth avenue and north of Mth street
to S9th lies a broad, colorless region
about which little was said in real estate
circles until a short while ago, and which
seemed to have little to say for itself.
Other parts of the great city were com¬
ing on the map and having their suc¬
cessive periods of rapid development
and prosperity (with much publicity
concerning their advantages from local
boosting and protective associations),
but for fifty years the Middle West Side
household supplies, while south of 42d
street the accessions are more varied.
But to others it seems that anywhere in
the territory west of Ninth avenue a
great steel structure is likely to arise for
almost any industrial purpose, and near¬
ly always for the exclusive use of one
firm.
The Pioneers.
The first corporation to whom credit
must be given for foreseeing this move¬
ment in the section north of 42d street
is the Sheffield Farms-Slawson-Decker
Company, which some years ago estab¬
lished offices and a distributing plant in
West S7th street, between Tenth and
the employes, and forty-two electric
motors to perform various functions in
the sewing, pressing and handling of
carpets and rugs. A re'markable feature
of the ninth and tenth floors is that each
consists of large pillarless rooms, 96x84
feet in dimensions. ,
Almost a Total Glass Exterior.
From far across the city can be seen
the steel frame of a giant building ris¬
ing at Tenth avenue and 36th street for
John A. Hill, publisher of the Engineer¬
ing News and other journals. The archi¬
tects, Goldwin Starrett & Van Vleck,
have provided the plans for a twelve-
THE CHELSEA SECTION-WEST 22D STREET.
WEST 23D STREET—WEST PROM NINTH AVENUE.
merely stood pat and had nothing to
say.
The building movement that has
started there has been exclusively for
business purposes so far, being particu¬
larly actuated by heavy shippers, manu¬
facturers and jobbers—who, in many
cases, have their principal ofBces and
salesrooms in more central locations but
are erecting great warehouses over there
because space costs less and because
here they are close to freight terminals
—domestic and foreign.
They have in mind the time when
American producers will take more ac¬
count of world conimerce; but, what¬
ever the reasons may all be, there has
been a marked inclination for a year "or
more on the part of big firms to create
auxiliary accommodations over on the
far West Side. Some observers have
divided the movement into two pai;ts,
with 42d street as the line of division,
•thinking that they perceive in the new
building activity north of 42d street a
; gatfieting together there of the largest
.distributors of food products and other
Eleventh avenues. The Mason-Seaman
Transportation Company followed. A
group of buildings in S7th street was
built by G. Schoch between Tenth and
Eleventh avenues. Park & Tilford put
up an immense building in 42d street
through to 43d street between Tenth and
Eleventh avenues. The Auerbach candy
factory is at 47th street and Eleventh
avenue, and the Standard Mail Order
Building, 22S feet front and twelve
stories high, is in SSth street between
Ninth and Tenth avenues.
Efficiency in Equipment.
Every building has been designed for
a definite purpose and is fitted in the
most scientific manner to perform its
duty. Commercial architecture has be¬
come a fine science as well as a fine art.
The new ten-story warehouse of W. &
J. Sloane in 29th street, adjoining the
corner of Eleventh avenue, has a most
remarkable equipment, besides being
organically fireproof. It has automatic
fire-alarms and sprinklers, power vacuum
cleaners, tungsten lights, restaurants for
story skyscraper, in which seventy-eight
per cent, of the walls will be of plate
glass. All the floors will be rubber-tiled;
the interior air will be cooled and
washed, and vibration in the building
will be eliminated. The power plant,
will be the most complete of its kind
in the city. The building alone will
cost $650,000.
Buildings like these are being erected
on the distant West Side where nobody
is accustomed to go except on business.
Their size and splendid construction^ is
remarkable.
Isaac A. Hopper (Inc.), as owner and
builder, finished in September a great
twelve-story building, 200x112, with an
extension 25x75 feet, at 423 to 439 West
SSth street that cost $600,000 for the
construction alone. The Standard Mail
Order Company purchased and is now
occupying this building. Not a bit of
wood went into its construction except
on the first fioor, which is eighteen feet
high. Not only is the structure fireproof,
but it is provided with a fire-tower and
a sprinkler system as well. Except in