The Indianapolis journal., 1884-01-14
TIL UNION DEPOT.
It's Location "a Matter of Interest-What the
Knowing Ones Say.

It's Location Matter of Interest-What the
Knowing Ones Say.
That Indianapolss to have new Union Depot
is 10 longer question. The plans and specifca
tons are practically agreed upon, and the method
10 raise the money to build it with Location is
now the only troublesome matter. prominent
railway official, whose ideas reforms and i'm
provements have been carried out for a couple
of years past, expresses the opinion that the new
depot will be located between Illinois and Missis
sippi streets He then gives the reason: First,
1t will cost the Union Railway Company less for
grounds needed. On the south side of the pros
ent Union tracks they own the property nearly to
the first alley between Illinois and Tennessee
Then between Tennessee and Mississippi stands
the Vandalia freight depot. This President Nc
Keen proposes to turn in at such price as com
petent parties or the chief engineers who const-
tute the Union railway appraisement commit
tees shall appraise it at. North of the Union
tracks between Mississippi and Tennessee, par
ties owning the grounds have offered it at very
reasonable figures and will take bonds of the
Union Railway Company in pay. Between
Pennsylvania and Illinois street the street-car
company has given the Union Railway Company
the figures at which they will sell their grounds.
WHlcD cover OneNiudfJer OF Il DlOck, anu IL is StQ
to be satisfactory to the probable purchasers.
To complete the two blocks which
the Union Railway Company need
the Spencer House must be purchased.
While the owners of that property have set
rather high figure upon it. the official from
whom the above information is obtained thinks
that some agreement will be reached satisfac-
tory to the owners of the Spencer House and the
Union Railway Company Yet, should this not
be the case, the latter could get along with the
ground heretofore described. Another strong
argument in favor of locating between Illinois
and Mississippi streets Is that Tennessee street
could be closed without interfering with bust
ness interests of the city. Were the depot built
between Meridian and Tennessee, and were Hi
nos street closed, the owners of the business
houses both south and north of the Union tracks
would claim damages: and the Union
Railway Company to ignore their claims ii would
doubtless lead 10 extended litigation The plans
for the new depot are. in the MAN. to have
large, handsome building on the north side, with
waitingrooms, ticket-ofice, sleeping-car Office
information bureaus, baggage, express and mail
rooms, cOmmOdious and convenient On the
south side of the building viii be ten tracks
eight to be underron sheds each track long enough
to hold thirty passenger coaches. The two south
ern tracks Will not be under roof but will be used
for local freight business to be moved over, the
same as the two tracks north of the present depot
If the depot is built between Illinois and Missis-
sippi streets, Louisiana street, which snow prac-
hcaIly vacated viii be covered with tracks and
the building will stand on the southern part of
the grounds now occupied by the streetcar
stables and Cobuln 4 Joness lumber yard, with
ample room the north side. of the depot
for carriages, hacks and street-car lines. This
would throw Louisiana street, between Illinois
and Mississippi streets, north to the alley. Were
the ground above spoken of taken for the new
depot, the old structure could be used while the
new depot is going up, Regarding the opposition
30 locating the above described site the
Bee-line people would like to have the depot
built on their grounds east Of the city. OF course
this is not practicable The depot must be near
the center of business. President Ingals's choice
is to locate it between Meridian and Delaware;
but investigation has shown it will cost twice as
much to secure needed grounds there, as it will
west Of Illinois street Another point made
against the latter location is that the deed of
VIM. Sheets, conveying the grounds ON which the
i. II. d !. depot now stands provides that it
shall be used only for that purpose The pro
vision in the deed, however. says for depot pur-
poses, and its use by the Union Railway Com
pany for depot to stand upon as much covers
tue provision in the Sheets will to have