Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-11-20
Police Authorities May Select the
Second Avenue Park for a Gen.
trail Prison Site.
THE LOCATION is SATISFACTORY,
But the Property Was Restricted Gift to
the City, Which May lntec-
fere Somewhat.
AN OFFICIAL TALK OF THE PROJECT.
Scheme That Would Save Money and Would Be a
Credit to the City.

The old Scotch Hill market place, or, as
it is better known, the Second Avenue
Park, may be chosen as the site for the pro-
posed new Central station. The announce.
ment made exclusively in Yesterdays DIS
PATCH that the county would not lease or
sell TO the city the old Criminal Court
building for use as a central station has con-
founded the police authorities. They were
content in the belief that the old court
building could be secured without difficulty,
and they were giving themselves little or no
concern about new prison. Now. however,
they are driven to prompt action, ard as
last resort they are discussing the park as a
site.
Should the authorities conclude that the
park, which was willed to the city for
market place, can be used for police pur
poses, they will erect upon it handsome
building of iron and glass, which will cover
nearly the entire plot. 1t is their purpose
to arrange the building with view to the
greatest possible convenience, and it will
embrace all the branches of the Department
of Public Safety, except the offices in City
Hall, and will also provide offices and quar-
tiers for the Health Department
A Home for All the Bureaus.
At present the city is paving rent for
four separate buildings. Three of these
buildings are used by the Police Depart
ment. The fourth is used by the Health
Department. For the Central station the
city pays 81, 500. For patrol station they
pay SS,000 For store house they paw s, 200
and for the Health Department quaxers
they pay s, oo0 The proposition now is TO
construct, on the little park, building cost
ing anywhere from $50, 900 to 5000, 900, and
police officials contend that the saving to
the city in rents would in a few years paw
for the building. No other site As centrally
located as the park can now be secured
without the expenditure of large sum of
money. and this the authorities assert the
city.is not in condition to do
No formal action has yet been taken in
regard 10 the park site 1t was literally /
discussed in police circles yesterday, and |
all agree that the site is suitable, but thefe |
is question as to the authority of the city |
to take it for the purpose. They believe, |
however, that they can use the plot for po- |
lice purposes just as they are now using it |
for park purposes, and that the city has |
been in possession of it long enough to do |
with it as they please.
win Build on Second Avepue Park.
After conference yesterday an official of |
the Department of Public Safety said: |
eve have hit upon the Second Avenue |
Park as site for a Central station, after |
looking over the entire city. 1t is centrally |
located. 1t is far enough away from the
municipal busines part of the city to avoid
confusion and it is near enough for
all practical purposes. There has nothing |
definite been determined on vet, but if we
can take the park, and the proper authori-
ties determine to select it, then we will be
able to get out of our present embarrass-
ment in good shape. My idea is to con-
struct building that will cover all
for yard. In the building we could have
the main prison, police court, the health
department, patrol station and stables
sleeping rooms for the reserve force Of no
lice and any other rooms or apartments that
we may need. 1t could be built large
enough to stand tine growth of Pittsburg for
80 years, and after all that is what we most
need.
Need a Place to Spread Out.
eve are growing so rapidly now that we
are forced to spread out and we have no
other place where We can spread so easily. |
To lease building we would have great
difficulty in getting one large enough to
answer the present demand on it and if we
could secure one large enough we would
he compelled to paw an enormous sum for
Il. We would not be safe in leasing
building, because it would be too small
probably before the lease expired, and to
take short lease on such a building and to
fit it up to suit our purposes end to improve
il annually, as is our custom, would cost our
city too much money for the return re-
ceived.
''The light Think of that the official
went on. The building we think OF would
be lighted better than any other building in
the city. 1t would front on both sides of
Second avenue and on Grant and Ross
streets, and would be entirely fire-proof If
we can get around the will giving the plat
TO the city with certain restric-
tions then we will act promptly
in the matter of building.
If we cannot use the park site then
we are Just now in an ugly position. We
could have renovated and repaired the old
Criminal Court building to meet all our re-
quirements, but the decision of the County
Commissioners to keep the property for the
Use of the county compels us to take other
steps, and take them promptly. We will