Columbia University Libraries Digital Collections: The Real Estate Record

Real estate record and builders' guide: [v. 94, no. 2432: Articles]: October 24, 1914

Text version:

REAL ESTATE AND NEW YORK, OCTOBER 24, 1914 I A SETTLED PLAN FOR PORT DEVELOPMENT I I Why Local Freight Terminal Projects Have Failed—A Port Com- ■ mission To Study the Transportation Needs of the Entire Harbor IF the City of New York is ready to consider the subject of port develop¬ ment, if an arrangement is possible with the railroads by which the cost of re¬ organizing the facilities of the port will not fall upon the taxpayers, then the actual work should be entered upon only when a general plan for the entire port has been devised after a careful study of conditions. This seems to be the opinion which the city authorities are coming to, according to the latest report. Various schemes and plans have been proposed from time to time. The city, the New York Central Railroad, citizens' associations and others have originated them. Not one has won support from those whose interests are directly af¬ fected thereby. It is essential, of course, that the plan should meet the needs of the transportation lines, if the transpor- lifework. Speaking this week in his per¬ sonal capacity and not for the associa¬ tion, Mr. Molitor said he was firmly of the opinion that a plan desip^ned to take care of a small area or unit of the port may be prepared only after an intelli¬ gent review of the conditions concern¬ ing the entire port. As a result of the recommendation of the committee, the Merchants' Association had formally recommended to the Mayor the appoint¬ ment of a Port of New York Commis¬ sion, composed of three expert engi¬ neers. This commission would be charged only with the authority to pre¬ pare a comprehensive plan of the en¬ tire port of New York. This plan, when completed, would be submitted to the city authorities, and if approved, no work would be permitted within the area of the plan unless intended as a unit toward the whole. City of New York which would result in a plan for reducing the unit cost of the handling of freight, "Such a man as Colonel Goethals, for instance, would make an admirable chairman of such a commission. In a word, the commission should be such a commission as those which made pos¬ sible the great terminal and transpor¬ tation plants at Hamburg, Liverpool and London. I have in mind a prece¬ dent for our suggestion in the case of Chicago, which is now about to un¬ dertake the solution of its terminal problem through means similar to those we suggest." The plan for the commission has not only been recommended to the Mayor I)y the Merchant's Association, but has been endorsed by the New York Chamber of Commerce as well. The Jersey City Chamber of Commerce has A STUDY FOR A MUNICIPAL FOODSTUFF MARKET AT .50TH STREET AND NORTH RIVER. tation lines are to follow the new plan and pay, first or last, for the new facili¬ ties. It has been the study lately of the Committee on Harbors, Docks and Ter¬ minals of the Merchants' Association, and particularly of a sub-committee thereof, to ascertain the reasons that have prompted the great transportation companies and others to disapprove of every v^an. The committee found that the plans that proposed to change conditions in this port were applicable only to a unit, or a small area, of the port, and that they failed of accomp¬ lishment because of their impracticabil¬ ity, particularly in the details of ope¬ ration. The chairman of the sub-committee is F. A. Molitor, of 35 Nassau street, a transportation engineer of note, who is now in private practice. Solving en¬ gineering problems for railroads is his "This commission would hold hear¬ ings at which all transportation and shipping interests would have an oppor¬ tunity of expressing their views," said Mr. Molitor. "The facts deduced would be used by the commission in the prep¬ aration of its plan and report. "Besides this the commissioners would prepare statistics of all freight traffic, showing commodities, destination and other details that would enable them to ol)tain a correct perspective of the large merchandise movement in and out of New York, and also make a study of the conditions afifecting the food supplies of our great city. Such a commission of experts would secure information not heretofore accessible. From all these facts with their own experience the members of the commission would be enabled to draw a picture of the trans¬ portation conditions of the Port and been asked to co-operate. About two years would be required for the prepara¬ tion of the plan. Latest Terminal Plan. The latest terminal plan that has been suggested to the Board of Estimate comes from Lindon Bates, Jr., of 71 Broadway, an engineer. The plan, or rather project, is for a foodstuflf ter¬ minal to be established by the City of New York on the VVest Side, at the foot of 59th street, immediately below the New York Central yards. A prelim¬ inary study is shown in the annexed drawing. Only the elements of the plan have been decided. The land is now occupied by the Union Stock Yards and Market Company and would have to be taken by condemnation proceed¬ ings. No estimate of the cost has been made.