Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1888-12-10
THE BURNED ACADEMY
WHAT SHALL 1T BE CON-
VERTED INTo7
house, - Concert and scturo
Hall and Lodge
Rooms.

There have been various schemes
| talked over to put tho old burned
Academy Of Music buildlng to somt
practical use. The lhtast move on the
carpet 10 to organize q oOmpspy with
$50, 600 capital 20 convert Il into three,
story building, the first story to be used
for q market house. the second for hold.
Ing ooncert1, public meetiDRs and fAirs,
and the third story for lodge rooms. An
objection to the market house part OF
this enterprise is that Eighth street
market Is too close to 1t, being only two
squares of. Upon the other hand 1t is
argued that bslDg on the line of the
WILMINGTON City Railroad people
In the western aud north western
part Of the city from the Highlands,
Forty Acres and other points, coming
down In the oity care would find 1t con-
vsnIent to stop At that market as the
m oBt convenient.
a general complaint Is that there is
no ball In the city convenient, and
which can be procured for concerts,
public nestings aud fairs at q reasonA.
BILE price. THIS, 1t Is thought, will 6ll
that lOnR-felt want. The great increase
In secret and benevolent societies would,
1t 10 Lhought, soon occupy ali the lodRe
rooms that can be made out OF the third
story.
'But 10 the old Academy site large
enough for q good market hoase?"
The answer Is that 1t iss bsiBg o. feet
front and lii feet from front 10 reAr.
The great difficulty with the Washing
tor street market house was that 1t was
too lsrgo. Had it only been half As
large IL would have been mo.e sueeBss.
ful.
But II the market house scheme is too
extensive an undertaking in the faoe Of
Other market house failures, nnoiher
plan is to oonVers the ground fioor into
two lRrga stores, Gith 3 public hall on
the second hJOr and lodge rooms on this
third hoor.
A third idea, II # is thought the lodge
rooms could not all be occupied, is to
make 1t Bwo stories high with q man.
card roof, with e.ther : market houge or
store on the fi,st floor and q hall on the
second floor In svery phase Of the
prOjeoted improvement the hsll is the
nIs' consideration, Sc there 10 more de.
mand for that than anything else.
There Is some objection to the location
for public hall as not being nearer the
centre OF population, but 1t Is argued
That at the rate that population is in
creABlng along the limo OF the city rail.
way and along ste B. & p. RailroAd, it
Will be but few years before It will be
In the centre Of population. II ie ur6ed
AleO in Its favor that the contemplated
widening tf Tenth street to TatnBll will
make that street one Of the haudsCmeat
In the city, and make that ssotlon more
inviting than 1t is At present.
"Will the improvements be made IT
the AoAaemy2"
Most certainly something will be done.
Several gentlemen OF means have an
uounold their readiness to subscribe
stock to q company TO convert the
Academy into hall OF any rate, that
being the most In demand. Whether
the first story shall be devoted to q
market house or stores, and whether
there shall be lodge rooms In the third
story or whether there shall bs third
story are all matters for after oOnsidera.
tion, and which will bs decided by
public opinion.
One thing 10 very sure and that Is
that the site Of the old Academy ls too
valuable to long remain idle