Columbia University Libraries Digital Collections: The Real Estate Record

Please note: this text may be incomplete. For more information about this OCR, view About OCR text.

358 RECORD AND GUIDE February 21, 1914 It is hoped that a standard central heating and lighting plant can be estab¬ lished that will be standard for all State institutions, with each part carefully thought out and actual tests made in reference to same, so that the State will obtain the best form of construction, and that the maintenance cost per year, which is now running very high, can be reduced. Considerable study is also bemg given to how to improve the present installa¬ tions, as a large number of the central heating and power plants throughout the State were installed about fifteen years ago and are now commencing to give out and will have to be replaced within a few years. This of course is a much harder problem than an entirely new installation. The plant at Sonyea will consist of two alternating three-phase lighting units, together with boilers, and as pro¬ posed will eventually provide heat and light for the entire institution, and elim¬ inate a number of small, boilers located throughout the institution. In general, most of these plants are averaging from 1,000 to 3,000 h. p. capacity, the boilers being of the water-tube type m units from 300 to 500 h. p. each. The gen¬ erators are in general alternating cur¬ rent, three-phase, 60-cycle, and turbines and generators are being installed. Turbines to Be Installed. One of the proposed schemes for Letchworth Village contemplates the in¬ stallation of turbines throughout the plant, both for circulating hot water for heating, and boiler feed pumps, to¬ gether with generator unit. In this plant all of the units will be in one large room, and be directly under the oversight of the engineer. One other feature of all of these plants is that each plant is being equipped with meas¬ uring instruments so that definite rec¬ ords can be kept of the coal consump¬ tion, water evaporation and power out¬ put, and it is proposed that continuous records be kept in all State institutions regarding their cost so that in designing any future plants absolute records will be available so as to determine the proper size of each unit installed. With these systems of records it will be pos¬ sible to raise the standard of the en¬ gineering work in connection with these features so as to make it a standard throughout the State for engineering work. It can therefore be seen that a decided policy is aimed at, which, if carried out, will bring results which have not been obtained before. An Italian Palace in Place of Old Brick Dwellings. (Illustrated on page 357.) These buildings on the corner of Lex¬ ington avenue and 25th street, were originally a group of three and four- story and basement dwellings, of the same type as the adjoining buildings, also shown in the picture. The corner building had a mansard roof, forming an attic. • . ■ In altering the building, the slanting roof was straightened out by removing the cornice and putting an angle iron construction over it, which enclosed the mansard roof and made a foundation for a perpendicular wall. Above this was erected a tile roof, so that the building was made 15 feet higher without con¬ flicting with any of the requirements of the Building Code, and twenty feet higher at the corner where the tower was constructed. As the building now stands, it is apparently seven stories high, whereas formerly it was a four story, basement and attic building. The exterior of the building was stuc¬ coed; the first story (formerly the base¬ ment) and the second story were paneled with marble, and an ornamental roof of Spanish tile, with large projecting eaves and cornice, completed the design, which makes a modern Italian front out of old nondescript brick buildings. All the work was done without inter¬ fering with the tenants. The building was designed by and was altered under the supervision of Emery Roth, archi¬ tect. . New Uptown Club House. A noteworthy addition to the group of fine club houses in this city will in a few weeks be completed and ready for use by its members. The building is being erected for the Freundschaft So¬ ciety at 105-107 West S7th street, near Sixth avenue, from plans by George & Edward Blum, architects, of 505 Fifth avenue. The building is six stories in height and covers a plot 43x100. _ The treatment _ of the facade is simple. A granite base course is succeeded by limestone to the sill of the second _ story, from where light colored brick, set off by terra cotta, extends to the roof, the whole surrounded by a pergola and roof gar- Oeorge £ Edward Blum, Architects. THE FREUNDSCHAFT SOCIETY'S CLUB HOUSE. den. _ A balcony runs the width of the building on the second floor, and there are three balconies on the third floor. The building has a cellar and basement, the former given over to machinery, laundry, etc., and the basement con¬ taining the bowlinT-alleys with neces¬ sary locker-rooms, showers, etc., a bar¬ ber shop and circulating library. On the ground floor are the main lobby, office and cloak-rooms, in rear of which is the grillroom and "bar. The rear part of the entire building is used for service, the service stairs, elevator, pantry, kitchens, etc., being there. A lounging-room flanks either side of the entrance in front. On the second floor is the ballroom with a lounging-room and on the mezza- nine_ floor, above the ballroom, is the music gallery and ladies' dressing rooms. The main ballroom will be twenty-four feet in height and have a portable stage. On the third floor are the cardrooms and lounging-room. The fourth floor contains the billiard-rooms, board room and private cardrooms and the fifth floor a library. In the pergolas on the roof is a roof garden, with kitchen in the rear. The mechanical features of the building com¬ prise a modern heating and ventilating plant, refrigerator plant, electric call outfits, house telephones, vacuum clean¬ ing facilities, etc. "The architects have embodied in this building everything to make it a model of comfort and luxury. The structure is strictly fireproof and is being erected under the supervision of the architects by Jacob A. Zimmer¬ man, general contractor, SOS Fifth ave¬ nue. New York City. Large Garage For Upper East Side. Horace Greeley Knapp, 111 Broad¬ way, is preparing preliminary plans for a large reinforced concrete garage to be constructed on the upper East Side above 72d street, east of Third avenue. The name of the owner and further de¬ tails are withheld for the present. Walter Haefeli Selected Architect. Walter Haefeli, 17 Madison avenue, has been selected architect for the six¬ teen-story store and loft building which the Aeon Realty Company, Sumner Gerard, president, 60 Broadway, is to erect at 40 to 46 East 31st street, at a cost of $500,000. Building For Druggists' Syndicate. The American Druggists' Syndicate, H. Loewe, 205 Borden avenue. Long Island City, in charge, is having plans prepared privately and will take esti¬ mates on the general contract about March 15, for a six-story reinforced concrete warehouse, 140x95 and 40x50 feet, to be erected on Borden and Van Alst avenues and Third street. Long Island City. Activity on Bedford Avenue, Brooklyn. James S. Maher, architect, 431 West 14th street, Manhattan, is completing plans for four apartment houses for the Grant S. Kelley Realty Company, to be constructed on the block bounded by Bedford avenue. Linden Boulevard and Martense street, Brooklyn. Estimates will be taken the coming week. New Apartment for Hyman S. CrystaL George & Edward Blum, architects, SOS Fifth avenue, are preparing prelim¬ inary plans for a high-class twelve-story apartment house to be built at 156 to 160 East 79th street. The owner is Hy¬ man S. Crystal, of 47 West street, a builder. The operation will cost about •?3S0,000 according to the architect's pre¬ liminary estimate. To Build at Cooper and Academy Streets. The Post Avenue Construction Com¬ pany, John J. Dowling, secretary, Sher¬ man and Isham avenues, will shortly improve the northeast corner of Cooper and Academy streets, in the Dyckman section, with apartment houses. The plot recently purchased by the company measured 100x100 feet. Further details are yet indefinite. 46th Street Pier Contract Awarded. Holbrook, Cabot & Rollins Corpora¬ tion, 331 Madison avenue, receive'd the contract this week to erect the pier at the foot of West 46th street for the De¬ partment of Docks and Ferries, Pier A, foot of Battery place. North River. The foundation will be of stone and wood piling 150x100 feet in size. Plans for the shed covering have not yet been pre¬ pared. The estimated cost is $2,000,000. Robert W. Goelet Selects Architects. Warren & Wetmore, 70 East 4Sth street, were selected as architects this week for the store and ofiice building, ten stories, which Robert W. Goelet, 9 West 17th street, is to erect on the large plot, fronting 65.4 feet on Fifth avenue and 141.6 feet in West 37th street, the southwest corner. The store and basement have already been leased to the Mark Cross Company (leather goods), now at 210 Fifth avenue, for a long term of years. It is said that work will begin within a few days, so that the building may be ready for occupancy by next fall. The. general contract has not been awarded.