Columbia University Libraries Digital Collections: The Real Estate Record

Real estate record and builders' guide: v. 81, no. 2099: June 6, 1908

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1062 RECORD AND GUIDE June 6, igo8 THE CITY'S NEW FERRY TERMINAL AND OFFICE BUILDING. The action taken this week by the Board of Estimate and Apportionment authorizes the Commissioner of Docks to award the contract for the Staten Island Ferry terminal, foot of Whitehall st. Borough of Manhattan. This contract provides for a structure with two slips which forms the westerly section of the Municipal Perry terminal. The easterly section, consisting of three slips, has been under construction for some time and is to be used as the ManTiattan terminal of the 39th Street Ferry, Brooklyn. The third, ou middle section, when acquired by the city, will consist of two slips and furnish terminal facilities for South and Fort Hamilton ferries. are ornamental stucco and copper panels, wdiile ornamental cast and wrought iron brackets and mouldings complete with tile and terra cotta the scheme of decoration. For watei-proofing the stucco, a waterproof material has been mixed with the sand and cement, and to color it pigments are mixed in, instead of applying the coloring matter to the exterior. The copper is not to be treated in any w-ay. The concrete floor slabs are to be covered with marbleithic blocks in the w^aiting rooms. The roof forming the recreation pier w-ill be tiled, while a copper roof with standing seams crowns the north and east elevations. The cost of the completed superstructure will be .fll.SOO.OOO. This does not show a greater cost per cubic foot than other modern terminals, which, however, have no revenue-producing features. Worlv was commenced about a year ago under Mr. ^v■a?'^^' "iF^'.*. ^'s.hig w,:asar^^BB Jfc^^^ --,-7V "'■■^-4iiUiJ Snare & Triest Co,, Builders. RIVER VIEW MUNICIPAL FERRY TERMINAL. Walker & Morris, Architects, The three sections are shown In the elevator plan. Since the three sections are being built at different times each is com¬ plete in itself, but the three are so designed as to form a har¬ monious whole, so arranged as to be used either as one large terminal or as three separate ones, which future traffic con¬ ditions will determine. The completed structure, therefore, consisting of seven slips, wi'l replace the present terminals of the Staten Island, 39th Street, Fort Hamilton and South ferries, and will be more than 700 feet long. There are three waiting rooms and a driveway on the street level. On t'he second floor there is practically one immense concourse, subdivided by glass partitions into three waiting rooms, so arranged lhat they can be operated individually or in connection with each other. The Loggia, 15 feet wide, running along the entire north front on second floor level, will replace the unsightly bridges and passageways at present leading from the elevated road to the ferry houses. Ample and modern smoking rooms, retiring room and toilet room arrangements are provided, and the electrically illumi¬ nated signs aud automatically controlled gates for the comfort and safety of the puhlic are of the most approved types. On the third fioor over the slips tbere has been provided 45,000 square feet of office space, equal in area to nearly two J. A. Bensel, Commissioner of Docks, and is now being con¬ tinued by his successor, Mr. Allen N. Spooner; Mr. Charles W. Staniford being chief engineer for the department. Messrs. Walker & Morris, 30 East 23d st, are the architects, and Charles "V\*orthington their consulting engineer. The Snare & Triest Conipany has the general contract for the three westerly slips, and were the lowest bidders for the two easterly slips. STRUCTURAL STEEL IN BRAZIL.—The possibilities of the trade in steel building materials in Brazil have appealed to a number of the largest American manufacturers of such ma¬ terials, and there is a w-ell-deflned movement to get into the trade in Brazil and South America generally. The nature of inquiries made, however, indicates that there is no proper ap¬ preciation of the position of this trade in, Brazil at the present time, nor is it likely t'hat it will reach the expectations of many American exporters for some time. Rio de Janeiro has nearly a mil'ion people. In spite of the high price of real estate in the central portion nearly aU the business houses are three stories, a few are of four, still less of five, and the only two above five stories are those of two new-spapers—one of seven and tbe other of nine stories, the latter being the only building ..-^l- a ■ T r • \ - LAND FRONT ELEVATION—MUNICIPAL FERRY TERMINAL. Walker Se Morris, Architects. floors of the proposed new Municipal Building. An equal num¬ ber of square feet of roof space is intended to be given up to public use as a recreation pier. These two features have been worlvcd out at a comparatively low cost to the city. At a rental of $2 a square foot for the offlce space, the city would derive an annual income of $90,000, making it a revenue-producing building. The third floor is reached hy elevators and stair¬ ways accessible from both the flrst and second fioors, while the recreation pier has separate stairways. MATERIALS AND CONSTRUCTION. Tiie building is of fireproof construction, with steel frame¬ work and reinforced concrete floor slabs. Every effort has been made in the selection of materials to avoid the cracking of walls and ceilings, and to further insure this result all large surfaces are broken up into panels with metal covered slip joints. Unlike some of the newest terminals, the river front, the steel structural members are left exposed, rather than covered with metal. Between the exposed steel members in the city built upon a steel frame. Building in Rio de Janeiro, as the representative city of Brazil, so far have consisted al¬ together of those constructed of stone and those constructed of brick and plastered over to represent stone. Owing to the climate none other than damp-resisting materials can be used. Wood has been out of the question, owing to ravages of white ants and other insects. MOVING THE BREAD LINE.—On Monday, June 8, the Fleischmann Bakery will move to the northwest corner of Broadway and llth st. The building occupied by them for thirty-two years will be razed as described some time since in the Record and Guide, Many people have wondered whether the famous "Bread line" would be discontinued when the new quarters were occupied. Mr, Otto F. Fleischmann is convinced of the efficacy of his plan and will continue it. Instead of ex¬ tending along Broadway, however, it is stated that the line will in the future form along llth st.