Columbia University Libraries Digital Collections: The Real Estate Record

Real estate record and builders' guide: [v. 93, no. 2392: Articles]: January 17, 1914

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AND NEW YORK, JANUARY 17, 1914 ■■IlillillH nii!iiiiii INDUSTRIAL DRIFT TO FAR WEST SIDE I Hffiffiii 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