Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-10-07
THE OLD POSTOFFICE IN VIEW.
A New City Hall Proposed, the Old One to
Be Used Exclusively for the
Police Department.
CITY OFFICIALS STILL COMPOUNDED.
Prominent Business Firm Gets the Option on the
Old Prison.

period to parties other than the city created
positive sensation in police circles and in
and about City Hall 1t was the one sub
ject of conversation during the day. The
city officials and members of Councils dis
cussed the subject with an earnestness that
betokened their perplexity.
When seen on Monday George W. Guth-
rie, the Pittsburg attorney for the property,
said the Central station building had been
leased to other parties. Yesterday Mr..
Guthrie said the lease had not been signed
yet. but he also said the lease had been
made out and would be signed.
you must pardon me-" Mr.. Guthrie
said yesterday, ''but am not yet at liberty
to give you the names of the parties who
have leased the property. However, can
say the building is not to be used as a
lookup.
THE CITY TO BE NOTIFIED.
''On the first of January next the city
will be notified to quit the place on April
l next, just as any other tenant would be
notified. The city officials have had plenty
of time in which to renew their lease, and
they cannot complain at the owner of the
place protecting herself They have been
talking for years of building lookup, and
had they decided to do so our building
would have been abandoned with an utter
disregard for the owner or her interests.
There can be no suspicion of speculation
in the lease" Mr.. Guthrie said. eff the
lease is signed, as firmly believe it will
be, the place will be transformed into a
business block"
Positive information was obtained vester-
day to the effect that the place had been
leased to prominent business men and that
the prison, in conjunction with a business
house fronting on Smith6eld street, would
be renovated and transformed into a NAM
moth business store The business men
alleged to be involved in the enterprise re-
fused to talk on the subject however.
A GREAT BUILDING PROPOSED.
Plans for paving the way out of the COM
plication were suggested on every hand yes
terday. Every officer of the city had sug-
gestion to make. Many of the Councilmen
were to the front with ideas which seemed
only to further confound the general con-
fusion. The old postoffice building at Fifth
avenue and Smithfield street, is the site now
being looked upon with envious eyes by the
city authorities and it is highly probable
that an effort will be made at an early date
looking to the purchase of the building from
the government. The proposition in the
event of the city purchasing the site is to razc
the old postofice building, and to erect
upon the site magnificent city hall, and to
use the present city hall as police head
quarters, central police court and such
Offices as are necessary for the police depart
ment of Pittsburg.
This proposition has found many earnest
supporters, and many plausible arguments
are offered in its support.
An act of Congress will be necessary to
enable the government to sell the property.
If such an act is passed there will be
numerous purchasers for the site, and the
city will find some strong financial competi-
tors in the field. A prominent business
firm of Pittsburg has already offered the
government $500, 900 for the building and
the property, and a representative of that
firm said yesterday that they would pay
another 500, 900 if necessary.
THE CITY FORCED TO THE FRONT.
1t is certain, however, that the city will
make an effort to purchase the property,
and will also take the lead in having bill
providing for its sale introduced into and
passed bv Congress Immediately after that
A. f. Heating was one of the Council
men who was considerably exercised over
the leasing of the Central station property
to parties other than the city. He spent
most of the afternoon about City Hall
and held frequent conferences with
with Chief Brown. Controller Morrow and
others. Mr. Heating said: 1t is an unpleas-
ant situation, of course, but we will have
little or no trouble getting out of it. By
the time the present lease on the prison
property expires arrangements will have
been made for the passage of an act of
Congress allowing the city to buy the old
municipal hall befttmg the city of Pitts
burg and the present City Hall can be used
exclusively for police purposes. The cells,
fixtures and many other of the improve
ments recently made in the Central station
building are movable, and can be
taken out at the city's will. They can be
placed in the basement of The present City
Hall, pending the erection of the pro-
posed new building where the Postofice
now stands. Then they can be moved to
whatever part of the building is best fitted
for prison.
MAY STUMBLE OVER A LAW
Superintendent Weir, of the Police
Department, was of the opinion that an
act of the Legislature passed at the in
stance and recommendation of the Prison
Congress prohibited the erection of prisons
or lockups in easements or cellars. He
had no information as to when the act was
passed, however. Henry Meyer, Josiah
Cohen and other prominent attorneys had
no information on such an act
Controller Morrow said he was opposed
to the purchase of the old postotfice. The
financial condition of the city, he argued
made such an idea or such proposition not
only unreasonable but unworthy of consider
alton He had been told during the day by
Mr. Guthrie that the lease of Central sta
ton had not vet been signed and he was
anxious for Chief Brown to go and renew
the city's lease for number of years before
the other parties secured the place.
CHIEF BROWN is QUITE CALM.
Chief Brown had recovered from the first
shock and surprise, and he was yesterday
found in his Office as placid and calm as a
summers evening. After confessing his
confusion when first hearing of the Central
station being leased for business purposes.
Mr.. Brown said: The place has never been
q suitable one for Central station, and
change to another building was not made
because of the necessary expense. We have
not been able to get lease on the property
for longer than one wear, bnt |
we have always understood that the citv
could continue in the building so long as we
pleased. In my opinion there will be little |
or no trouble in getting out of the trouble |
into which we have unavoidably gotten.
1t is an i'll wind that blows no one good"
the Chief said, land we will work out of
the difficulty just as we worked into it" he
concluded.
sM1THFIELD THE COMING STREET.
d, P. Black, of Black & Baird, was asked |
Yesterday if there was any connection be- |