Los Angeles daily herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1884-1890, 1888-01-14
SATURDAY, JANUARY IA, 1883.
The city Hall Again OH Wheels.

The City Hall Again OH Wheels.
At a meeting of the Special Com
mittee of the Council yesterday after
noon, the New City Hall project ma
terialized. The syndicate who own
the st. Vincent property make the
offer to exchange the block upon
which the United States Military head
quarters building now stands for the
present City Hall property on Second
street, and for the lot upon which the
New City Hall has been begun on
Fort street, with $150,000 boot. The
syndicate estimate their property at
$3.50, 900 and the value OF the city
property at 100000. They also ind'-
cate that property owners in the vi
entity of the St. Vincent property will
raise $4,000 of the $4,000 boot re-
auired from the city, together with
such additional sum as would be
necessary to compensate the con-
tractor who is now building
the, new City Hall on Fort
street for throwing up his contract.
This, the promoters of the swap are
understood to be willing to make one
of the conditions Of the transfer. AS
to the modus operandi of legally car
rying out their proposition, the syndi-
cate say that the city's property can
be put up at auction, and they will
bid 100000 for it. If there are no
other bidders they will take it at that.
If more is bid for it by other parties
the city will get the benefit of the
surplus. When the whole subject was
clearly explained to the special COM
m ittee Of seven yesterday, a vote was
taken, resulting in five in favor and
two, Mayor Workman and Council
man Cuddy, not voting. The latter
gentleman, however, talks favorably
of the scheme, and will probably
vote for it when it comes be-
fore the Council. This shows that the
acceptance of the proposition by the
Council is foregone conclusion, and
that the project will be carried through,
for there are enough Councilmen out
side of the Committee who are in
favor of the scheme to give the vote
necessary to its passage. The friends
of the proposition say that it will be a
good thing for the city. They reason
in this way: The 1S0-foot lot upon
which the New City Hall on Fort
street is being erected will be closed
in on both. sides by other buildings
It will have no grounds and made
quate light, and as public building
will be neither conspicuous, ornamen-
tai nor safe from confagration. On
the other hand, they say, the city
will have the entire block, bounded
by Sixth and Seventh and Fort and
Hill, with a building already erected
that will meet the wants of the
city for several years. There will
al SO be ample space upon which to
add wings to the structure and fol-
city Jail purposes, and to render it
INTELLECTUALLY an ornament to Los
Angeles. We recognize the strength
of the reasons thus advanced, but
look upon the location as being ineon-
veniently distant at the present time
for a City Hall. In the course Of
three or four years this objection may
be removed. But just now it is toe
far from the business center. Another
objection we find to the scheme is the
constant placing of the City Hall on
wheels. 1t has been carted from
Spring street to Second, from Second
to Fort, and all this within a few
years. Put it in motion again and the
question will be, where is it going te
stop? The next Council may take il
into their heads to sell all the vacant
lots in the St. Vincent block, anc
succeeding Council may seize upor
that fact to put it on wheels again
The same property and speculative
interests that now want to cart it te
Sixth street, may want to move il
3 further a few years hence. The
spirit Of change, animated by the
spirit of speculation, may thus defeat
the object of permanent location in
definitely. The present location or
Fort street is central, and
that is prime advantage. If the new
fscheme can be STAYED off till
the City Hall now in course of con
jtruction is built, the chances will b.
largely in favor of it's permanency
here. We shall recur to this sub
1ect. In the meantime we canno
help looking with distrust upon this
1cheme, although those who favor i
9esent plausible and seemingly
rong reasons in favor of it.