Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-05-06
BUILDING TO BLOCK.
John Harper Is Opposing a Scheme
to Widen Eighth Street.
OTHERS FEAR BIG ASSESSMENTS.
What 1t Will Cost the City to Make an
Outlet for Wood Street.
ONLY TWO PROPERTIES ARE AFFECTED

Since the Liberty street fire on Saturday
swept away the John Harper building at
Eighth street and damaged other buildings
in that locality, movement has been
started to have Eighth street opened up to
full width from Liberty street to Penn ave-
nue.. The remainder of the street to the
river is already opened to the width OF 40
feet 1t is claimed this is a good time, as
the damages at present will be less than at
anv other time. 1t is further claimed the
enormous increase in the city's business on
Penn avenue and the general growth of Pitts
burg demand it. This claim is backed by the
fact that both Seventh and Ninth streets
are so taken up by street railway tracks as
to be almost useless, as they are narrow
streets anyway. Besides this, an outlet is
needed for tine immense traffic on Wood
street, and the Penn avenue wholesale men
also want better outlet to the river.
The talk at present is all of an informal
character, and as the owners of the prop
erty, who will bitterly oppose the opening,
are going on the jump, unless a move
ment is made very soon the place will be
built up again, and the damages will be
enormous.
Only Two Properties Affected.
On the upper side the property is on the
same line clean to the river, hence the
street will have to be widened 90 feet on
the lower side. This affects but two proper
ties, the John Harper block on Liberty
street, and the lot known at No 722 on
Penn avenue. 1t is owned by the McCune
estate and managed by President r. S.
Smith, of the Union National Bank The
McCune property is 20 feet front by 10
feet deep, and hence the widening would
take the whole piece. Mrs McCune owns
the block of 20 feet right below, which
would be greatly benefited by the WIDEN
ing. This property is valued at s., 600 per
front foot, while the Harper property on
Liberty street is valued at over 100000
The building on the McCune property is
valued at $4,000 more, which would make
the present cost of opening up the street at
least S165 000
While it is held that the widening is more
of public than private benefit, the abut-
ting property owners are not moving fast
for fear OF heavy assessments for benefits
CITY Attorney Moreland said yesterday:
1.-THE form for widening the street would |
be for a majority of the abutting property
holders in number and interest to petition |
owners from Penn avenue to the river. |
This would have to lie over for 60 days, and |
then if there were no objections the court |
could appoint viewers to condemn the prop |
erty and assess benefits and damages The |
benefits will not be confined alone to that |
street, but will extend all around that |
neighb orhood.
A Benefit to the Whole City.
Charles Arbuthnot, Of the firm of Ar
buthnot & Stephenson; is probably the per- |
son who would be the most benefited. His |
property joins the Harper block on Lib
ertv street, and his new wholesale store is |
at Eighth street and Penn. Yesterday he |
said: GAS a city, Pittsburg should be |
ashamed of such an outlet for Wood street |
as there is at present Eighth street should |
be widened to the full width of a street. I |
do not know that / would be benefited |
much more than anyone else. The widen |
ing might make nv Liberty street property |
more valuable, but the greatest benefit |
would be to the city in general [ would |
like to see it done, but | am afraid the as
sessments for benefits would be very high.
There is much talk about making such a
movement, and want to see it go through"
The n. J. Braden heirs are anxious to see
the street widened, but John Harper is
Just as much opposed. He said: Il sup
pose the city can condemn the property,
but 1 will oppose it. The widening would
take 20 feet and leave strip of ten feet
that would be worthless, unless Charles
Arbuthnot would buy it.
Its Value on the Jump.
'We do not want to give up the property,
for in few years it will be worth a half
more than what it is now, and if it is con-
demned its value as an investment will not
be considered. 1 do not believe that much
will be done. As soon as the place can
be cleaned up we will rebuild, and when it
comes to paying for a 100000 building
on top of 100000 lot the people will not
be so anxious to have the street widened.
That street was closed up once by act of
Legislature. A lawyer here was paid
81, 900 by some people for getting the work
done and afterward someone paid him
that much more for having it re-opened 1
will do all L can to stop it. q"
r. 5. Smith, of the McCune estate, also
said he would oppose the opening. He
said if they only owned the 20 feet they
would be willing to sell it, but as they had
the adjoining property they are afraid the
benefit assessment will be too heavy. He
also argued that the benefit would be pub
lie one. He also wants $40 900 for the lot
1t is expected that the Standard Oil Com
pany will be one Of the petitioners for the
widening.