St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-05-25
Soon to Ornament Two Of
the Coming Streets OF
the City.
WabaSha and Sixth Streets
Destined to Be the Great
Avenues.
Rev. S. G.. Smith Announces
He Is Not Going to
Chicago.
Another Chapter in the Sons
of the American Revolu-
ton Row.

There has been no little disdainful
talk among certain pesSimists of the .'ef-
fort to create a movement in real estate
when there is no movement but there
is, no doubt. in spite of this, of a certain
revival in business, and particularly in
real estate and building. Several large
recent purchases Of real estate and nu-
merous large plans announced reveal
the fact that within six months great
changes will be made upon three streets
of the city-Wabasha, Sixth and Third.
1t has become very evident that Waba-
sha and Sixth are the two coming
streets, and that Third must undergo a
change in consequence thereof. Every
large business block of the next two
years will go upon either Sixth or Wa
baSha, and retail business will grad
ually be drawn from Third street to al
low jobbing and manufacturing to sue
ceed them there. Already one large
dry goods house has abandoned Third,
and there is a strong probability that
the two remaining large mes will fol-
low suit this year. There are already
M that leases have been signed by
them, but these are somewhat prema-
ture.
Wabasha street is rapidly coming to
the front, and a year from now will see
a wonderful development there. The
concentrating of electric lines along that
thoroughfare will draw trade very nat
urally in that direction. though it has
always been a prominent artery. Sew
eral large purchases of property have
recently been made there, including the
Costello-Petsch deal for the block oppo-
site the capitol at $3.50 a foot-conSid-
cred very cheap-and the Petsch pur-
chase of the Michel property at Waba-
Sha and st. Peter. 1t is assumed as a
fOregone conclusion that the new state
house will occupy the present site; and
that a handsome block Will occupy the
old French church site, at WabaSha and
Exchange, has already been stated.
The most active work is along
Sixth street for it's entire length.
The roOkery at the corner Of Sixth
and Robert, for long an eyesore to citi-
ZenS, has at last disappeared. Work
men have been engaged the past week
pulling down the r~amshackle buildings
and cleaning the lots. Speculation has
run high as to what was going to be
done with the property, which. by the
way. Is owned by the Boston Northwest
syndicate. The explanation is at last
forthcoming. At the corner of Sixth
and Robert. extending to opposite
the Metropolitan, on Sixth and
the Ryan anneX on Robert, a large
three-StOry brick block is to be erected.
The block will be one of the finest in
the city, and will be given up to de-
partment stores, somewhat after the
arcade pattern. The Boston Northwest
sydicate is not alone in this investment,
as, upon good authority, it is learned
that prominent citizens have put a large
amount of money into it. For many
dency to concentrate the retail trade
on Sixth street. 1t is the
nost central t~horougbfare in the
city, bounded on each side by street
cars lines as well as cut through by
connecting lines at easy distances. The
street itself is from any car line, and al
ways will be. line chamber of COM
merce. the Bank of Minnesota, the New
York life, the Ryan, the Oppenheim
aud the Metropolitan buildings on Sixth
street have drawn a considerable amount
of traffic, and the surprise has long
been expressed, from Wabasha to
not a single retail store of note. The
Boston northwestern people %recogniz-
ing this fact, with local, assistance,
decided TO erect a large business
retail block on their property, the
corner of Sixth and Robert. The re-
moval of the old wooden buildings is a
foretaste of the great improvement to
be made. Once this block is up, the
supremacy of Sixth street as a retail
t~horoughfare is assured. Within the
next twelve months there will be some
improvements of considerable magni-
tude Oh this street.
A rininnlnnc nnhIiootiNn onoooroJ -,
a morning paper yesterday touching a
proposed arcade, but it needs not such
spurious work to boom Sixth street.
That will all come. The Endicotts are
preparing for a great building at Sixth
and Cedar, and the Virginia syndicate
is preparing for a fine structure on
leased grounds near by.