Omaha daily bee., 1882-09-25
COSTLY BUILDINGS.
The Tendency to Extravaganza In
New York.

The tendency of the age to centrali-
cation is shown Says a New York r
respondent of The Cincinnati Gazette)
by the immensely of both business and
domestic architecture. What a differ
ence is perceptible even within a few
years! 1t was Stewards ambition to
build tho grandest palace in America,
and he devoted ten years and 81, 0OO,-
600 to this purpose. But how soon it
was collapsed. Stewards first domestic
regime was opened in an upstairs act
OF apartments, while his rival lived in
a Staten island farmhouse. The
same advance il shown in business
architecture. In 1850 Bowen ~ Me-
Nance built the finest store which
Broadway had up to that time ever
contained. That building is still stand
ing, bat Ia now one Of the least notice
able of the whole street. Colossal
structures for business purposes are
now the order of the day, while enor-
nous blocks Of flats have taken the
place Of the aelf. contained houses of
former times. Jose +. Navarro
is building a block of flats
in Seventh avenue, which
will cost $1,000. 600. The smallest
arrangement of this kind is to pull
down two houses and erect a now
building of fats, with a well in the
center for the elevator. Such gtruc-
lures bring rents which at n time
would have been considered fabulous
the first floor being rated at 81, 800,
while tho highest story is 5000. Fam
lilies thus pay more for a fiat than the
former rent of n self-containod house
The increase in the value of lots is of
corresponding character. Here, for
instance, is the corner OF Fifth avenue
and Forty-fourth street $50 feet front
by 100 feet in deptk), for which $780,
600 has been refused. Who would
have dreamed of this ten years ago?
Business property shares this increase,
and one Of the most remarkable in
stances il found in the lower part Of
Broadway. This was until recently
considered an out of the way spot, but
the erection of the produce exchange
building has made u marvellous i'm
provement. Two years ago V. X.
Stevenson bought Nos A and AS
Broadway for $l85. 900, and he has
since then been offered 500, 600 for
the same property. This vicinity
must oon become tho center of an
immense traffic. The base of Broad,
way is the front OF the row known as
Bowling Green. This row consists
of five buildings, one of which
has just been sold for 500, 600
This sum is more than the entire row
was worth a few years ago. What a
change in a one almost deserted part
of The city! The Mills building is the
finest of our commercial structures,
and hence attracts general attention.
Its lofty height is set off by the court,
which forms the Broad street entrance,
and which is glazed for protection
against tho clements. A massive and
beautiful grating is dropped at night,
thus excluding all trespassers. The
whole interior combines elegance and
strength, and the columns are Of ex,
quisite finish. Ii will be, when COM
pleted, the most elegant commercial
building in the world. Mills has re-
Gently returned from California, where
he laid the basis of his fortune. This
building viii be highly remuneratiye,
Notwithstanding its enormous cost,
The latter was estimated at 81, 200,
600, but will exceed that figure by
$3.50, GOO. The rents, however, are
of q corresponding amount. When i
first knew this locality the site Of the
Mills building was occupied by an old
brick storehouse, whose rent would
have been dear at 81. 800. Broad