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REAL ESTATE
AND
(Copyright. 1917. by The Record and Guide Co.)
NEW Y. RK JANUARY 5, 1918
THE CONDITIONS OF THE COURT HOUSE PROBLEM
Situation Review and Suggestions Made Which
Might Prove of Value to the New Administration
SINCE my retirement from the Court
House Board, I have refrained from
interfering in any way with the efforts
of the Board to solve the Court House
problem, which, however, have not been
productive of any other result than
continued wastefulness in carrying
charges and useless expenses.
The new administration faces a so¬
lution of this difficult problem, con¬
vinced at the outset that the law should
be repealed and the
Board abolished;
and it is inclined to
drop the project al¬
together. I have
taken the liberty to
point out to them
that the effect of re¬
pealing the Court
House Acts will be
to take away the
broad powers con¬
ferred by the law.
which are required
by the city to solve
the problem.
I have suggested
that, in place of a
paid Board, certain
city and county
officials concerned
should be appointed
Commissioners, by
reason of their
offfce, thus effecting
a considerable sav¬
ing, and assuring
the carrying out of
a policy which un¬
doubtedly the ad¬
ministration will be
led to adopt.
The problem is
far too important to
be solved by the
easy method of
abandonment. Real
property interests
in the section of the
city affected, and
consequently the
city's financial in¬
terests, which have
been very seriously
damaged, must be
protected, its values
restored and en¬
hanced.
A court house
' must ultimately be
erected at one or
another location,
and it behooves real estate interests
that this undertaking once initiated, be
carried on properly and economically.
There has been a general misunder¬
standing and misconception of the con¬
ditions of the problem, which should
not be permitted to mislead the incom¬
ing administration.
I have, therefore, outlined for its guid¬
ance the conditions of the Court House
problem, which should he of the very
greatest concern to all interested in
real estate.
In 1910, the then Court House Board
accepted my advice against selecting any
of the new sites suggested, on the ground
that the city could not afford to acquire
any of them, the cost being estimated
By ALANSON T. BRIGGS, Former Executive Secretary Court House Board
sirable to permit the Court House to
be surrounded by Chinatown, second¬
hand metal and machine shops, an old
c'othes market and rag warehouses.
These conditions of the neighborhood
at between $15,000,000 and $25,000,000.
The Board, acting upon my recommen¬
dation, selected the present site of the
old court house at City Hall park.
Against the protest of Mayor Gaynor,
the Board of Estimate refused to ap¬
prove that selection. It caused a law
to be enacted giving to it alone, for a
six mont.^s' period, the power to select
a site. When that period had about
elapsed, and almost over night, the Col¬
lect Pond site was selected.
dssqr
GENERAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN
SHOW^ING DIAGONAL STREET. IM¬
PROVED STREET CONDITIONS.
PLOTS AVAILABLE FOR PRIVATE
DEVELOPMENT AND ULTIMATE
ARRANGEMENT OF CITY HALL
PARK. PLOT 1. COUNTY COURT
HOUSE OR BUILDING ERECTED TO'
GROUND FLOOR; OR. BUILDING
ERECTED TO SECOND STORY ;
OR PUBLIC PARK. PLOT NO. 2,
FEDERAL COURT HOUSE; OR. TO
BE SOLD FOR PRIVATE DEVELOP¬
MENT. PLOT 3. STATE OFFICE
BUILDING; OR. TO BE SOLD FOR
PRIVATE DEVELOPMENT.
constituted an important element in the
error of original selection of the Collect
Pond site, which remains to be cor¬
rected. .,
A comprehensive plan was prepared
by me, after consultation with the mbst
experif^nced professional authorities,
which made ade¬
quate provision for
t h e ultimate im¬
provement of the
area bounded ^by
the Municipal Build¬
ing on the south,
Canal street on fihe
north, lying between
Broadway and the
East River.
This plan was
necessary to encoUr-
age the erection of
large office build¬
ings and commercial
structures in prox¬
imity to the public
buildings proposed
ultimately to be
erect ed, and to
thereby change the
character of the
entire section.
It was intended to
create such public
improvements a s
would materially
increase the value
of land in this sec¬
tion, and stimulate
private capital t o
erect large buildings
thereon, thus estab-
h'^~.hing a great new
business centre in
the city. A vast re¬
turn would thereby
accrue to the city,
by increased assess¬
ments and taxes
thereon, produced
by the enhanced
value of the land,
and the added in¬
crement of value of
costly new buildings
thereon. It was
conceived that only
in this way could
the error of original
After a careful study of the topo¬
graphical conditions of the site, and af¬
ter consultation with the most compe¬
tent engineering advisers, I showed that
the location was not practicable as a
building site for the proposed Court
House. Consequently, additional land to
the east was acfjuired at considerable
cost. As it was necessary to make com¬
pensation for street and park area taken
for the improvement, it was found that
the greater part of lhe entire site would
be required for approaches, parkinf^: and
streets. Certain minor parcels of land
would remain to be utilized for ot' er
â– public buildings, or could be sold, with
restrictions, for private development.
It was considered to be highly unde-
selection of the
Collect Pond site be remedied, and the
city saved from great financial loss.
The public improvements, proposed to
be ultimately carried out by this plan,
were as follows :
(1) The County Court House.
(0 A Federal Court House, for
w'.ich land on Columbus Park and
ea*^t thereof may be acquired by the
Federal Government, the necessity
of which has been urged in Con¬
gress for vears.
(^) A S:ate Office Building, for
which a remaining parcel of the
Court House site is available and ap¬
propriate, which may i)C acquired
from the ci'v hv ihe S'ate govern-
R£:cuuD A\D glide: is i.\ its kii riirni yioau of co.\ti\lols
(Continued on page 6)
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