The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-09-25
10 BENEFIT THE CITY
Prospects That Useless
Meadow Land Will Be
Reclaimed and
Improved.
FINE SITES FOB FACTORIES
Much Taxable Property Will Be
Added TO the Ratables if the
improvements Are Made.

The award of a contract to Henry
Byrne by the Street and Wafer Board for
the Improvement of Ninth street. from
brunswick street westerly, has elated the
property owners along the line of the i'm
provement in. that section. They be-
lieve that this is the initial step in the
Improvement of all the streets. now only
produced on maps crossing the meadow
land lying between the Erie Railroad and
the Hoboken City line. The owners of
the meadow land in question nave from
Tune to time expressed a willingness and
a desire to I'LL in their lots if the city
would in turn pledge them a few Of he
improvements which other sections of the
city enjoy. The owners of the under
water lots are quite willing to fill them
IN and make them marketable, but for
some reason the city's representatives
have shown a disposition to discourage
the owners in improving their holdings
having gone 50 far, it is asserted. to
furnish even a surveyors map. showing
the proper lines of the now partly SUBJ
merged streets.
several years ago the owners presented
a numerously signed petition to the Board
OF works, asking that the streets through
the meadow land be opened and graded.
the petitioners agreeing to bear the en-
tire cost of the improvement. Residents
OF that section of the city lying north
OF the Erie Railroad agree that great
advantages would result to the city by
the retaining Of the meadow land. Its
ilaccessipilIty gives it no marketable
value ana causes 1t to remain only a spot
for the wholesale breeding of disease. Inc
lana Deing unproductiye to the holders.
tney are beginning to grumble about pay
ing a tax upon 1t. improvements, they
say, are due them. and If made would
give the city some excuse for lowing a
tax upon the property.
Revenue to them, say the holders.
means revenue to the city. A conserya-
tive sttmat of the ratables that could
pc obtained in the territory mentioned.
ny the mere granting of petitions for
OF the land to the several railroads makes
1t desirable for factory purposes. but in
its present inaccessible state now no one
wants It nor will anyone locate upon it.
That the property owners mean business
is apparent from a letter recently filed
With the Street and Water Board. in
which the owner of a dozen or more lots
In Ninth street proclaims his intention
of filling in all the lots as soon as the
grade of the street is fixed. Encouraged
by the improvement of a portion of Ninth
street, the Brady Metal Company is
erecting a fine plant in Ninth street Just
west of Brunswick. The new enterprise
will furnish employment to a large num-
Der of men who would doubtless locate
near the works if there were houses there
to accommodate them. The Street and
Water Commissioners have promised to
CIV their undivided attention to petitions
from the locality In question in future.
Somewhat encouraged by this promise
the property owners are expressing their
regret at the unexplained delay in rela-
ton to the elevation of the Erie's tracks.
n city has made unusual concessions
to the company to gain the proposed ele-
walton, but there still appears to be a
hitch somewhere. One point raised by the
company. it Is said. is that the proposed
elevation will render its tracks, crossing
Pavonia avenue to the stock yards. use
less. Disinterested engineers have told
the people that Pavonia avenue could be
crossed on a trestle and a gradual de-
scent made to the stock yards at a trifing
expense. 1t is whispered about also that
the company intends trying to avoid the
elevation of its tracks by securing the re-
peal of the track elevation legislation of
last winter. This report is not believed.
The Street and Water Commissioners will
probably commence work in a few weeks.