Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-03-02
REAL ESTATE GOSSIP
The Prospects for an Active Season
Of Building.
FROM VARIOUS POINTS OF VIEW
The Elements Affecting the Future
of the Suburbs.
N E W B U IL D L n G S

templating investing money in this way
have been thawed out, SO to speak. and
have gone about the matter with renewed
| interest, in fact, very much as If 1t were
a new and original proposition. Some
| have even gone so far as to have plans
| prepared or have brought out the plans
which were finished some months ago and
| shaken off the accumulated dust and have
| in view inviting new proposals. In all the
| round of the building interests there is
quite an apparent revival of Interest, and
| from the architects down to the contract
ors and the material men there is more
| talk of new buildings than has been the
case for some time past. 1t seems that
| nearly everybody is predicting a fairly
busy season in the way of improvements,
| and these prophecies are not based on
merely hope, but on rather substantial
| facts. In the first place, the building in
| spector, who has fairly good chance to
get a bird's-eye view of the entire situa-
| ton, hasn't any hesitation in declaring, as
he has done in the columns of The Star
| that the building season opens up with the
encouraging prospect of being an active
one. He doesn't say there is going to be
any extraordinary activity. but he does
say that there will be quite a good deal
| of building during the coming season.
Then, too, the architects wheel into line
and point to the plans in their offices. either
completed or in course of completion as en-
evidence that the course of improvements
| Is going to move along at an encouraging
rate as soon as the weather permits. I'm
pcrtant testimony to the same effect is
given by the material men. those VINO
make bricks and sell them and who supply
| the lumber and other material used in the
construction of buildings. Already the
brick men report that they have N sight
number of orders. which will keep their
kilns busy for some weeks to come These
are some of the substantial reasons Cor the
belief that many additions will be made
during the coming season to the residence
ana business facilities of the city.
The Growing City.
The demand of the constantly increasing
population might be given as a further
reason. as during the past year or so there
| has been quite a decrease in the amount of
| building done. due, of course, to the finan-
cial conditions which have prevailed
| throughout the country. If, for the sake of
| argument. 1t Is conceded that at the be-
ginning of the period of depression the
| city was somewhat overbuilt 1t is evident
| that these conditions have changed and
| that whatever is done in the way Of add
| ing to present Improvements will be in
response to an actual demand.
1t is expected that there will be quite
good many new structures erected in
the suburbs, not only on the part of in
| dviduals who desire to erect homes for
their own use, but by property owners
| for bringing their property into the active
| market. 1t is recognized that this can be
accomplished by meeting the demand for
houses and other buildings in the sections
beyond the old bounds of the city. Exten-
sive operations of this character have been
the features of the development of the city
during the past few years, and it is be-
lieved by men of conservative judgment
that this is only the beginning of the
| movement which will result in the making
of the Greater Washington.
Property in the Suburbs.
1t is expected that "a decided impetus
will be given to suburban interests by the
| final approval of the map of street extern
sion. The work of preparing this map is
in such a forward state that it is highly
probable that 1t will be completed in the
near future. While, of course, the actual
work of acquiring the land needed for the
new streets cannot be undertaken until
the bond issue bill becomes law, and the
money is made available to pay the land
owners, still the lines of the proposed
streets will be known and good deal of
the uncertainty which now hangs over
suburban property adjacent to the city
will be removed.
There is another favorable element af-
fecting the future of suburban property.
and that is the transfer arrangement which
was agreed upon recently by the represen-
tatives of the suburban and city street
railroads, and which, 1t is stated will soon
agreement quite a reduction will be made
in the cost of travelling between the city
and the various suburban points. Per-
haps the decrease is not as great as many
had hoped would be made, but still it is
something, and will, no doubt, tend to en-
nance the already numerous attractions of
home in the suburbs.
DIR. McMurtrie's Residence.
Ground was broken this week for hand
some new residence to be erected at 1913
10Th street. which will prove quite an inn
provement to that section. 1t is for DR.. d.
McMurtrie, U. S. N, and plans have been
prepared by w. L. Conley. architect. The
house is to be a three-story and English
basement structure, the lower part to be
of rich redstone, and above that the walls
are to be Of Roman brick, with handsome
and appropriate trimmings. A fine recep-
ton hall will be in the basement, where
are also the kitchen. boiler rooms and
other domestic details On the floor above
will be the parlor, library and dining room,
with the buffers pantry and conserva-
by steam and lighted both by gas and
electricity. The dimensions will be 24.9 by
74.6 Emmert & Heisley are the builders.
and the cost of the improvement is to be
in the neighborhood of $4,000.
The Building Record.
The building inspectors record for the
past week ending yesterday shows that
thirteen permits were TAKEN Out lOT the
erection of new buildings, aggregating in
cost $12a, $50 This was divided among the
several sections of the city, as follows:
Northwest, four permits, $500; northeast,
two permits, $27.OO0; southwest, one permit,
$1,000; southeast, one permit, 5000, and
county, five permits. $3.50.
Some Improvements.
Five dwellings are to be built on the
north side of r street between 10th and
18th streets for Reese F. Lukei. They are
to be three stories and basement, with bay
fronts of press brick, trimmed with Indiana
limestone.
Samuel C. Head will soon break ground
at 1O16 East Capitol street for dwelling.
1t is to be three stories and cellar, 20x36.
with front of press brick and Indiana lime
stone.
plans are being prepared by A. B. Nor
gan, architect, for five houses for F. D.
Foster on Columbia road and 18th street.
They will be 20X66 feet, three stories and
cellar, brown stone fronts. with square cir
cplar bays, terminating in open balconies,
and roof of Spanish tile.
The Boston Variety Store is to be re-