The San Francisco call., 1896-05-17
Two Thousand Building Lots to
Be Thrown on the Real
Estate Market.
ALL STREETS TO BE IMPROVED.
Over Three Million Dollars Will B.
Expended in Opening Streets
and Grading.

In quiet way the Richmond District
has made steady progress during the past
few years. In proof OF this, I. G. Parker,
a real-estate man on Point Lobos avenue,
points to the fact that where building lots
in his vicinity were offered for sale five
years ago at from $400 to $500, the same
property is now worth from $1,000 to $500,
and, even at this advanced scale, they
would be worth considerable more if the
Park Commissioners would expend por-
tion OF their appropriation in improving
that thoroughfare. AS it is, Point Lobos
avenue has the appearance of neglected
country road. In addition to this the
Market-street Railroad Company, with its
characteristic Indifference to public
opinion, perm its its old rusty rails to re-
main in position on the center OF the road
from First to Thirty-first avenues, where
they had been placed years ago for the
purpose OF preventing any body else from
operating a useful streetcar line there.
Another case of monopoly indifference
Is painfully manifest on Eighth avenue,
where the steamcars used TO run from
Central avenue and California street to
the Park, but which have been abandoned
for over two years, yet their rails are per-
mltted TO remain there much to the incon-
venience of men who have been engaged
during the past week on Seventh avenue
grading il from Point Lobos avenue to the
park entrance. The portion of the street
which Is graded is monopoliZed by some
of Mr.. Winnings idle car-tracks, and in
order TO open the street TO teams grading
must be done on either side OF the track.
Tie undertaking represents considerable
work, and il will be several weeks before il
Will be finished.
When this is done Richmond will then
have two tboroughfares leading 10 the park
entrance, and will be greatly benefited by
! the improvement.
This district has heretofore been sadly
neglected. First avenue is in an almost
impossible condition. Some want the av-
/ enue put IN proper condition and others
are opposed, but between the two con-
| tending elements and q franchise for a
steam railroad held by the Market-stree;
monopoly the avenue remains an eyesore
and source of annoyance to the people
/ of the Richmond district.
/ In addition to all those troubles, the
contractor who laid down the three-foo
/ wooden stringers through the sand has not
/ fully complied with the requirements o
the contract, as can be seen by the follow
ing notification sent out from the Stree
superintendent Office TO those affected:
You will kindly notify the people in you
district, through your club, not TO pay an
>. ..
plank sidewalks. Those he has already dow
and is collecting for are not laid according {
specifications. Money should not be paid unit
an assessment is made from this office Severa
complaints have been made here, and there
fore make this request. Yours respectfully,
THOMAS AsHwoRTH,
Superintendent OF Streets.
One of the obstacles against the genera
welfare of the Richmond Valley was tn
Bay District race grounds. This is at las
doomed, and in less than two weeks or b,
the first OF June the days of the old racin
grounds at First avenue will be over. Fo
more .han two years Warren & Male
have been under contract to grade thi
and adjacent property, but successive ex
tensions OF tbs lease have prevented tn
beginning OF the operations.
All impediments will have been removes
by the end of this month, and on the Is
of June the contractors will start on one O
the largest grading jobs they have eve
undertaken. Their operations will cove
an area OF over 1000 lots, exclusive of street
and crossings. The territory to be i'm
proved lies within the boundaries of Firs
and Fifteenth avenues and A and d streets
The contract covers the properties of tn
Crocker and Stanford estates, the W. V
Huntington tract and the lands of the Sal
Francisco Land Company, besides lots be
longine>to smaller owners
The intention is to put the whole prop
cry ibiO AIsL-SldSS UullOlDg cGnGltlOn
The streets will be graded, macadamize,
and severed. The lots vii! be raised O
lowered to conform with the official grad
and then clayed or manured to preven
drifting. Fences will be built around eacl
block.
The magnitude of the enterprise ca,
be imagined when it is stated that mil
lion cubic yards of sand will have to b
removed, that the work will take eighteen
months to complete, and that the cost O
the job is estimated at $300,O
Work will regin at the more westerl,
portion of the land to be graded. In orde
to prevent drift from shifting sand
through winds the contractors will TAX
the precautioD of covering tier of block
yet further west with clay and manure
so as to keep their own work clear ant
free.
The effect of this enterprise on realty il
Richmond will be very beneficial. With
dozen or more streets opened from Poin
Lobos avenue to the park grounds, tn
beauty of the district, and its desirabilit-
for residence purposes will doubtless b
sufficiently apparent to inaugurate build
ing boom throughout the entire area. par
ticularly when all the streets are grade,
and sewer facilities are provided, whicl
will be within the next eighteen months
Then Richmond's hope for grand futur
is expected to begin.