Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-07-17
WON'T SELL NOR RENT.
Property Owners Complain Of the
Fifth Avenue Market House.
1T is NOT YIELDING ANY PROFIT.
Mayor Gourley Says the Property Should
Be Used or Else Sold.
THE ARMORY SCHEME DEAD LONG AGO

Property holders in the neighborhood Of
the Fifth Avenue Market House are in q
state of indignation over the refusal of
Chief Bigelow to make some use of that
building. More than dozen business men
have offered to rent the building and pay a
good price for it If given two or three
years contract, but in each case have met
with point blank refusal from
Chief Bigelow in whose charge the property
is. Offers to buy have also been made, and,
it is said, good stiff figures were proposed,
but the Chief only. shook his head, and
without offering any reason for his inertness
in the matter, met the offers to buy as he
had the propositions to rent
In the meantime this valuable property
lies idle. Its only tenants are two church
congregations, who pay very little rent, and
Battery B, which pays none. The Public
Works Department is spending 81, 500
year of the city's money and the Public
Safety Department at least 81 400 year for
the rental of other property when they
could more conveniently be using
the market house and saving the city
So, 900 year, besides the taxes on tine prop
erty they now use. This is what angers the
people out Fifth avenue. They regard
Chief Bigelow as ''the dog in the manger,"
who will neither save this money himself
nor allow anyone else to do it.
Military Organization Without Funds.
When the proposition to give the mill
tary companies of the city a 50-year lease
on the property wac defeated by the prompt
action of the citizens out that way few
months ago, there was much complaint
been developed that even if granted
the lease the militiamen were in no position
to take advantage of it. An unexpected
apathy to the armory scheme among the
business men of the city prevented them
from subscribing as literally as had been
anticipated, and instead of securing $50, 900
they were unable to get pledges for more
than half that amount Under the lease that
was prepared they could not get possession
of the property, even if Councils granted it
to them, until they had $50, 900 assured, to
be expended on the building. It was
claimed that Councils would have granted
the lease in spite of the popular opposition
to it, had the militiamen and their friends
insisted, but the fact that the lease was
smothered in the Finance Committee is
considered the best evidence that it was
not greatly desired by anybody in view of
the public clamor against it.
CHIEF Bigelow himself never professed
much friendship for the armory idea
When the discussion of the subject was at
its fercest he in an interview said that if
10 he
for an armory he would fix it up for pub
lie meeting hall at once But he didn't.
The market house is still the same dreary
old waste of space and bricks that it has
been for the past four years, and at
present there seems to be no prospect of its
ever being anything else
Bfeelow Very Indiner"Dt.
When Chief Bigelow was asked about the
matter yesterday he only sighed and re-
Asked if he had any plans in view for the
use or disposal OF the property he said: IT
think 1 will start for Europe early in
August I may think of some good way of
using that building before I return, about
September /. have had some people to
see me about renting it for riding school.
That is the popular craze now all over the
country, and the market house would make an
excellent place for it, but those wanting it
are not responsible enough, and have paid
no attention to their request. If good, re-
sponsible men wanted it for that purpose I
would probably give the offer some consider
alton.
"Why not rent portions of it to hucksters
and market gardeners?" was asked.
'Simply because there would not be
enough of them to justify it. The location
is not suitable for a market, never was and
never will be. The selection of that place
and the erection of that building was the re-
suit of an old-time political fight, and it was
costly fight for the city"
"Well, why not sell the property if 1t is
of no use to the city?"
81 can't sell it without Councils direct"
answered the Chief, as he walked away and
ended the interview
The Mayor Favors a Sale.
Mayor Gourley has all along contended |
that the city should either sell the property, |
so that it would weld something in the way |
of taxes, or occupy it and save money now
spent in rents 81 think 1t 10 |
an imposition on tho taxpsy- !