Morning journal and courier., 1892-05-13
THE PROJECTED WIDENING

THE PROJECTED WIDENING Df the Entrance to Grahd Avenue
 An Interesting Public Question
 Various Views of the matter-The
 ProposItion to Make the Widening
 Extend to Olive Street Stirs Up
 Serious Objection - Estimated to
 Cost tS15O.OOO-Some Energetic Pro.
 tests Being Made.
 The proposed widening of the entrance to Grand avenue at State street is creating l much talk in town. It is, of course, an affair of some importance, as, the estimated cost to the city is, if done one way, $6O,- GOO; if another s15O,OOO. The project meets with serious opposition, as far as widening to Olive street is involved, though the proposition to widen to Artisan streetlor to the bridge is quite popular. If widened to Olive street the expense, it is estimated, will be $150, ,0O0. The common council came near upsetting the whole project the other evening, but finally re- ferred the matter to a committee to in- quire and report. Many object to widen ing any further than the railroad bridge; some think that to widen to Artisan street will be all right; others claim that to do the job thoroughly the thoroughfare ought to be widened all the way to Olive street-which if done will make 6 huge bill for the taxpayers to pay. MT. George w. Cooper, though favoring the least expensive method, wig orously opposes the more expensive meto- ject of widening to Olive street is based on the fact that it will be g very expensive 1 job, as it involves taking away the corner brick building erected by Professor Bald | win few years ago, the next-door old building on State street, an antiquated wooden structure where the drug store is,
 and the brick building in the rear on St. l John street, also the widening of the rail- 1 -oad bridge and the cutting off of the l just across the bridge owned by MT. N. F. Hall; also the cutting away of portions of five buildings on St. John street between 1 Artisan and Olive streets-none of which,
 except the one on the corner occupied as @ cigar store, are old rookeries,' as Council man Mcdonald saw fit to term them in his
 speech in the council. The line proposed
 will cut off the side of the fine house
 on the corner ,of, Olive and St
 Mas 17es stss''t the "RSe @dow of sss
 Lawyer and ex-Speaker Charles Ives, aud
 will about spoil it; will cut right through
 my own house, we'll built and compara-
 lively new place; will cut through my
 house next door, where Gilbert had his
 bakery, and will cut through the house
 next door to that, while it will slice off a
 section of the cigar store building on the | corner. All this is needless expense, not at all called for. There is absolutely no
 need of it. It will cost the taxpayers of
 New Haven g heap of money, not less than $150,000. Mind, I alone am not authority
 for saying it will cost $150,000. w. J. At
 water, owner of Atwater block, as good a judge of real estate as there is in New Ha.
 ven probably, estimates that the cost will
 be $15O, ,O0O, and he is opposed to the wid-
 ening, if it goes SO far as this, although if
 it goes to Olive street it will benefit his
 property-will benefit his big block. Coun.
 cilman Green hit the nail on the head
 council meeting when he bravelJ
 said that the widening of Olive street is
 wholly uncalled for, and will saddle ar
 extra tax of 3 mills upon the people o
 New Haven. For his own ward, tn,
 Twelfth, he would speak in opposition ant
 his ward would back him up in it, for the large number of small property owner
 there would strongly oppose any increas' of their taxes for g work not needed.
 l uo WlueuluS lS dit duO VIII Do
 public benefit if made to the bridge. Sucl work will widen the street all that ii
 necessary-will give ample width to tn
 thoroughfsre, and this will cost the cit and taxpayers $60,000. If the wideninI goes further to Artisan street it will GU , off the fronts or involve the tearing dow
 of MT. Halls buildings, and will cost nor money. The city may gain tn land for new engine house fo l No. 3, but the lot would no
 be big enough then for the needed nev
 steamer and aerial truck house. The
 aerial truck can now get all the space wants to turn around in by going ou where there is room enough just in iron , l of Atwater block, and the loss in tim would be barely five seconds. What
 emphasize is that the widening of Gran'
 avenue, f1om State street to the bridge, i all that public necessity requires and i Y that is done it will cost the taxpayer $60, ,000, but it will be good improve ment. leave it to the public if the house. ] on St. John street, ,betweenArtisan andOliv, 3 streets, are old rookeriss, and if there
 any need of their. being torn down or GU
 through and make needless expense. Ther are ten stores also to be wiped out if the, 3 go to Olive street." MT. Cooper also laud |. the speech of Councilman Fitzgerald in tn , | council meeting and especially his remarl
 that there was about as much sense to wha they wanted as there would be to pull dow . Atwater block and make 8 park out of it 3 A friend of Councilman McDonald's say
 that he had no intention of chasing MI
 Cooper's residence or the neighborin
 buildings below Artisan street on St . John street, but that he meant by Crook cries" the old brick structures between tn Q bridge and Artisan street. The friends 0 f the proposed widening to Olive street hol t that the widening will make 8 complet ? job of it and greatly improve this impo1 Q tant thoroughfare, opening up both St
 John street and Grand avenue in fin
 shape, and claim that the expense, thong large, of such widening will in the en j. not be waste of money, in view of tn D great public improvement which they hol d will be derived from it. Many of ou leading men favor the improvement as on - which will be of great and lasting value I this part of the city and to the city {