Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-12-20
REAL ESTATE GOSSIP.

1
The Erection Of Apartment Houses Likely b
| Be More General.
1
THE PROPOSED NEW rosr OFFICE BUILDING Soc
GEsTs SOME THOUGHTS on GOVERNMENT ARcHI-
| LECTURE IN THIS CITY-A FINE NEW oFY1cx
| BurLDINa-oTHER MATTERS OF INTEREST.
| A BOUT THIS TIME, as the old-fashioned
"A almanacs put it, prepare for ploughing,
and as far as it 10 necessary for the dweller in
this city to prepare for the spring season Of
| building this Is good time to get the plans
we'll under way, SO that when the weather is
more favorable building operations can be
| begun promptly. 1t is probable that the
| wise injunction Of the. old almanacs were
| little needed. It Is certain that the modern
house builder, with some exceptions, devotes
| his or her time to other matters during the
winter season, and when the spring opens there
| is frantic hunt for lot and an imperative
call for the architect on one day to have all the
plans ready by the next day. At least that is
the general experience Of architects, and
they are in a position to know. The
average man or woman who builds q
house wants to have It begun at
once. There are exceptions, OF course, and just
buildings to be erected during the coming sea-
son. As IL always the case, good many pro-
jects now being discussed will not be carried
out. What IL particularly interesting in this
preliminary discussion is the fact that investors
are considering the advisabiIity Of erecting
fat or apartment buildings. Generally speak,
ing, it seems to be conceded that there
ia demand for buildings Of this character
This demand is believed to come from two
sources. namely, the people who spend their
winters here and those who live here the year
around. 1t is phase OF modern city life
which has never been developed in this city to
any extent. SThe experiments that have been
made are mainly in The line of providing apart
ment buildings for people of liberal incomes
It is thought that the near future will witness q
change in this particular and that apartment
buildings will be erected where suites of rooms
can be leased at moderate rates. The growth
Of the population and the increasing value of
land are the conditions which have favored the
erection of buildings Of this character in other
cities and there is no reason to suppose that the
same conditions here will not produce the same
results. The experiments already made in this
direction have proved to be successful and this
fact is encouraging to those who have under
consideration plans for the building Of apart
ment houses
FLAT BUILDINGS WILL. PAY.
In talking the other day on this subject with
Mr.. George W. F. Swartzell of the firm of B. H.
Warner & Co., who has had practical experience,
a STAB man was told that apartment buildings
in this city are profitable and can be made
profitable if they are well located and con-
veniently arranged.
There is no doubt" he said, 'about the de-
mand for apartments being on the increase,
and those with three or four rooms each. with
bath room and necessary kitchen accommoda-
tions, are most sought afte.. This demand can,
I think, be explained by the expansion of the
business center, which absorbs residence prop
erty and drives residents farther out, and by
the fact that persons are constantly coming
here who have been used to apartments in other
cities and desire the same accommodations here
Besides there are many corners that are not
yet adapted for general business PURPOSES
which are too valuable to be used for residence
purposes only, but could be advantageously
used for apartment buildings. There are many
houses now occupied on the apartment plan
that is, they are occupied by several families
that were never intended to be SO used but
this has become necessary because many per-
sons whose families are small and who do not
high rent are compelled by the nature Of their
business to live close toit But there is not one
house in fifty, and might say hundred that is
well arranged for housekeeping purposes for
more than one family, and many Of the people
who now occupy second and third stories would
be glad to enjoy the comforts and accommoda-
tions a small fat would afford. A story some
times rents for as much as a small house.
farther from business, but the latter involves
time going and returning and the expense of
car fare. The advantage Of fat is that its
location Ii more central, with substantially the
same conveniences as o small house. with an in
crease in rent. perhaps but the increase is COW
cred by q saving in time and car fare. Yes
think apartment buildings are profitable and
will be surprised If their number in Washing
ton is not increased during the next few years.
THE NEW POST OFFICE BUILDING.
A. x1o
which have been begun I'm the District Court to
secure the square of land opposite The STAR
Office as the site Of the proposed city post
Office are concluded the next step will be to
erect the building. By the provisions Of the
act of June Is, 1880, q sum of money sufficient
to pay for the land was appropriated
and In addition the Secretary Of the Treasury
stantial and commodious structure at q cost
not to exceed $500 900. II it occupies the en-
tire square it will be 200 by BOG feet the first
named dimension being the frontage on
Pennsylvania avenue. While it is not so speci-
fed in the bill yet in the discussion in
it was stated that the building would be eight
stories in height. Whether the building will
be carried to this height or not it will be one Of
the great public buildings Of the city, and
the city it viii be one Of the most conspicuous.
As compared with other public buildings which
have been erected in recent years at the capital,
this proposed structure, which, in the words
Of the act, will be 'for use as q United States
post Office for said city and for other govern
mental purposes" will occupy no insignificant
position. The great granite pile the home of
the State, War and Navy departments extends
All feet from north to south and 253 feet from
\ east to west and cost some SI2, 0O0, 600.
It is, however, only FIVE stories in
height, including the basement story and the
| story in the mansard roof. The next great
\ public building erected was the pension Office
building, brick structure extending 200 feet
from north to south and 400 feet from east to
west. 1t is three stories in height and cost
| about 81 100000. Other comparatively recent
additions to the public buildings Of this city is
the National Museum building, which is q one
story structure Of brick, covering about two
and one-haf acres Of ground, and the brick
building in the same vicinity for the great med
1 ical library Of the surDeon s.enerals offica