Columbia University Libraries Digital Collections: The Real Estate Record

Real estate record and builders' guide: v. 80, no. 2063: September 28, 1907

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476 RECORD AJÎÍD GUIDE September 28, 1907 Points on the Material Market. The outlook has decidedly improved during the week. North Carollna pine has undergone soraa sUght readjustment of vaĩuea. Shingles are extremely firm, and aU offerings are beĩng taken at good prices. Business is limited only by ths amount of money avaU- able Eor handling it. , ■ If the brick market is the barometer oE the buildlng trades, business is picking up. Turpentine continues easy, but Eor linseed oil an advance ot one cent hasbeen made by the crushers. Spruce is not so active as it was, and while competition m buslness is keen, the official prices are held up pretty well. The yard trade in hardwoods is only fair, but in the manu- facturing trade reports say that aU hardwood is weU absorbed. NashviUe, Memphis, Cincinnati, and other hardwood centers report that the tendency is toward higher prices and that plam oak, ash, bassvvood and poplar are in good demand and stocks low, Sheet metal products, such as rooflng sheets, conductor pqie, and eaves trough, continue surprisingly flrm in the face of an appreciable faUing off in trads. Sufficient explanation, how- ever, Is found in the fact that the mnis are stUI ^three to six weeks behind on deUveries of sheets, " Hemlock continues to 'move freely in the country. distncts outside of New York City, at a base price of $22 per thousand for New Tork City delivery. Buyers in the New Jersey and Hudson River territory and throughout Pennsylvania are ab- sorbing practically the full output of the mUls. The agitation for a un'iform freight classification to govern ■ shipments ín aU territory of the United States and over all roads is meeting with approba-tion and support. not only from shippers who at flrst would appear to have the most vital in- terest. but also from raUroad managers and claim agents. The dry color raarket shows little change. and there is noth- ing of înterest in the situation, Altogether, the trade shows a healthier tone, especially in greens and yellows, which have been in fair demand during the week, but other grades are featureless and business is of a routine character and confined to small lots. Prices generaUy are. well maintained at the old figures. The season of faU painting having started in in earnest there is a heavy caU for both dry lead and lead in oil and, while there is no quotable change in prices, there is littie obtaĩnafale below "the outside flgures. Zincs continue active along the old hnes and business, while of good proportions, is confined to small lots. Prices are generaUy well maintained, A good demand for the foreign grades is reported, The lumber yards here on Manhattan ■Island have passed through an exceptionally dull summer, though this applies with greater Eorcs to dealers in soEt construction lumber than to the distributors- oE hardwoods, though there has been no particular liEe to the retaU trade in hardwoods locally. Wholesale men, on the other hand, are meeting a very satisfactory demand at current prices for practically everything in the line of Eorest .product. The prices Eor wlúch tlie standard grades of Portland cement are be'ing quoted have not varied for a long period, but the general market lias begun to show signs of wcakness in sym- pathy w^ith the tiraes. Cement has been gracious to builders and 'contractors all tbe season, and tbis attitude, taken with the many new ways that have been discovered in which cement can be used, has made a demand for it tbis season much larger tlvan what an equal expenditure for building construction would have represented in cement output at any previous era. Business in copper products is only to cover current demand, because of the uncertainty as to future values. The state oE the market is refleeted by the following quotations selected from the Iron Age, which are malntained by base prices: Sheet copper. 24 cents per pound base; on sheet brass there are changed schedules that are said to be equal to about 10 per cent discount from list; seamless copper tubes, 20 cents per pound base; seamless tarass tubes, 22 cents per pound. faase; bare copper wire, 201/4 cents per pound car lots at mill; brass rods, 1S% cents per pound, base; brazed brass tubmg, 2oVi cents per pound, base; tobin bronze, 26 cents per pound, base; tobin bronze rods. 26 cents per pound, base; eopper rivets and burr.= 45 and 2^^ per cent. discount; yeliow metal sheathmg, 18 cents per pound, base. and yellow metal rods 19 cents per pound, base. Hudson Blver brick prices have taken a decided upward turn since last report, under a brisk buying movement which has taken up the surplus of the previous week and invited further heavy shipraents, Material dealers beĩieve that this advance is ' a prophecy of a permanent change for the better, for the whole list of bullding materials, and a sign that building funds are a little easier to obtain. For several weeks the requirement for common tarick has been large, though the price level continued low unti! this present rally, owing to previous excess ship- ments Eut it is not thought that the improvement m the market wiU cause any eonsiderable change in tbe plans of íhe manufacturers, 'many of whom iiave counted on Closmg down next week, / Building Operations. StatisUcs of Plans Paed. The following is a table of the new buildlngs and altera- tions projected for Manhattan and the Bronx with the estl- mated cost, for the past week and also for the corresponding week oE 1906: 1907. 1906. No. of the new buildings in Manhat- tan and the Bronx------'........ 47 30 Bstimated cost of new buildings.. $779,094 $1,731,450 Total estimated cost of alterations for Manhattan and the Bronx.. $93,420 $177,675 New York Ai-chitect to Plan Hanunerstein's PhUadel- phía Theatre, _Wm. H, McEIEatrick, oE 1402 Broadway, Manhattan, has been appointed to prepare plans Eor the new opera house which Oscar Hammerstein is to buiîd at the southwest corner of Brbad and Poplar st, Philadelphia. The dimensions oE the plot are 240x160 ft„ and it is considered an admirable site for a large theatre or opera house, having a frontage on tliree streets, béing one square south of Girard av and the Hotel Majestic. Att the office of the architect on Tuesday it was learned that the plans woutd not fae ready for figuring for some weeks yet. Mr. Hammerstein is aĩso côntemplating the erec- tion of an opera housé in Chĩcago, to cost nearĩy $1,000,000. A site on the south side of Michigan av. near 12th st, as a suit- afale location, îs under consideration, but it is not thought ■probable that this projeet wiU be undertaken, untU the final completion oE the Philadelphia strueture. McElEatrick & Son have designed as many as seventeen playhouses in Manhattan, ten in Brooklyn, and scores in other cities and countries. I New Business Stnictwre Opposite the Waldorf. 34TH ST.—Benj. W. Levitan, No. 20 West 31st st, will make plans for the erection of a fireproof iron front 6-sty business building to be built at No. 11 West 34th st, adjoining the new McCreery store and Riber's drug store, opposite the WaldorE- Astoria. In 34th st the structure will have a frontage oE 25 ft., runnjng back 126 ft, in depth. and also a 12-ft. strip through the block to 35th st. AIl deliveries to the building will be through the 35th st entrance. The total estiraated cost of the huilding ĩs placed at $400,000. No building contracts have yet been awarded or flgures taken. Mr. Bobert Smith, of B. Smith & Co., ladies' outfltters, of No. 52 West 14th st, is the owner, and will occupy the premises. establishing a high ciass miUinery store. to include ladies' and children-s outflts, Work wĩU be pushed as soon as plans are complete. University Place Alteration. UNIVERSITT PLACE.—David M, Ach, No. 1 Madison av, is arehitect for large improvements to be made to the old MaiUard Building southwest corner of University pl and 14th st, pur- chased this week by Mr. J. L, Post (cloaks and furs), No. 76 Bast 14th st. The structure covers a piot 34,3x103 ft., is six stories in height. and it will be renovated for Mr. Posfs own occupancv. The interior alteration wiU be elaborate and no money ^W be spared to make this one of the finest mercantUe cloak and fur establishments in the city. The Riehard L. Walsh Co., 100 William st, has the contract for remodeling the exterior, and no other eontract has yet been given out. Pollaid & Steinani Plan Auother $500.000 Apaitment House. 5TTH ST,—Messrs, PoUard & Steinam, No, 234 5th av, are completing plans and specifications for the eonstruction of an- other-handsome 12-sty high-class elevator apartment house, to be erected at No. 136 West 57th st by a corporation of which P MoL Merrill, 259 5th av, is secretary. The cost wiU be m the neigbborhood of half a ■million dollars, The same owners and architects have already completed plans, and Wm. J, Tay- lor 5-7 East 42d st, has the general contract for a similar bui'lding at No, 130 West 57th st, to eost another $500,000, (See also issue Juiy 27, 1907.) Coutract for Second National Bank. 5TH AV —The George A. FuUer Company this week received the general contract to construct the new 5-sty bank and ofSce structure which the Second National Bank (now at 5th av and "^.^d st) ■is about to build at the northwest corner of oth av and '>Sth st on a plot 38x100 ft. For the site the bank is said to have paid the Charles M, Goodridge estate in the neighborhood of $1.000,000, Messrs. MeKim, Mead & White, 160 5th av, are the a'rchitects. (See also issues Aug. 3, Sept. 21, 1907.) Office aud Lott Building for Second Avenue. ''D AV —Operations wUI be started iramediately for the erec- tion of a fireproof high-elass office and loft building. to cover a plot 22x100 ft., at No. 43 2d av, for wbich Architect Frederick Ebeling 420 East 9th st, 'is now preparing plans. The struc- ture wiU be seven stories in height. and wiU contain elevator ^