New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-07-25
THE NEW CITY COLLEGE.
HOW THE DESIGN FOR THE FIRST BUILD
ING WILL BE SECURED.
A N1rMnER OF ARCHITECTS WILL BE ASKED TO
coMPErE-THE SITE QUESTION STILL OPEN
IN PARr-WHAr COLONEL KETCHUM
THINKS ABOUT 1T.

THINKS ABOUT IT.
The new site for the College Of the City OF New
York having been decided and purchased III par
one of the next things order is to have plans or
tho buildings prepared This work will not De
done by the regular building department. VI vi.
Board Of Education. which Is likewise 'ne Do"u
of Trustees of the college. So much mas oee" NC
termined. That decision was not reacheu peotu'e
of any lack OF confidence In the ability Oh oupe'n-
tendent Snyder who makes the plans ior al the
schoolhouses in New-York. but because IL was leit
that Mr. Snyder had enough work on hand' ana
that 1t would be wiser to secure the ser''e' "a ii"
outside architect , r
The Executive Committee OF the Board u i'us
tees has appointed subcommittee cohsis,ins u
Mr. Little Mr. Montant and General Wepp. 10 loon
,,or Tho matter The plan agreed to Is 10 invite
eevcn or eight architects of repute to submit pre-
limirsary drawings of such buildihg as SHd ne
decided on, with the stipulation that can Vi %
architects shall receive $3.50 for his work ropapy
SUPERINTENDENT Snyder will be asked TOT HIS iueaS
as to the general character OF the proposed ouiio
inc and tho Building Committee OF the BOARD vi
Education will have considerable to say OH ,ha'
point Until the size and nature Oh inc pu''"e
the number Of rooms. the purposes LOT "hioh '"ey
are to be used and other similar questions are
settled 1t will be impossible Tor archiec's " o
slider the subject intellisently.
IT is not expected that the competition VIII De
initiated much, If any. before September 40 Id,
as Mr. Snyder is concerned. he Is siad 10 oe ieeeu
of all responsibility in connection with this uhuei
taking although of course. his services are con-
stsntly at the command of the Board OIL EoIDo'oi
1t is the intention OF those members Oh 'he poa'u
snecallv interested in the City College TO erect
building thoroughly adapted for college "orh anu
at the same time an ornament to the metropolis
The site on which it will stand Is a commanding
one overlooking as ii does st. Nicholas PARK ana
a large mart Of the Harlem District. The fuil site'
as selected year or two ago. consists oil ioui
blocks lying between ST. Nicholas Terrace and
Amsterdam-ave. on the east and west ard one
hundred nd -fortieth and thirty
eighth sts on the north and south. The northeast
block is not of full size, the curve OF ST. Nichoias
Terrace cuts off a slice. Through a part OF the
southeast block a street known as feh'z-s' was
once laid out but 1t was never opened anu WHEN
the land on each side Of 1t Is acquired by 'he CIT!
the rights to the potential street VIII go Win II
and the latter be permanently cioseu' No"'ei'
ave. running north and south. separates the site
into two parts but east of that avenue One-hun-
dred- ynnth-st. has not been opened. anu
it is expected that 1t never VIII be- IhiS STREET,
however divides the western half OF the site. as
Respectng the northwest block there is a bitch
In the Board OF Education. and the matter mas
been laid over for action some time the coming
fall The question came up at the last meeting OF
the Board in May. and by vote of Il to It was was
block. although a considerable part of it had been
secured at that time The minority wef re- entiTe
Site should be secured SO as to Pfo OF be nor
v was ' coon Sep Alexander p Kechum who IS chair
man of the Executive Committee or the Collt &c.
To a reporter of The Tribune who called at MS
office in the Cotton Exchange Building last week
Colonel Ketchum pointed out on map the e., exact
location Of the site. and gave the reasons why ne
considered it of the utmost Importance That me
entire plot contemplated should be secured SAID
Colonel Ketchum
Some of this property the city has already pur-
chased. Certain other lots the owners are Will Will
ing TO part with. ana aTransemen,s h iot 'nx a
Ing of the Board OF Estimate ana ApporuonInent
will be called next week TO approve the contracts
which have been made Bnt there are huinpe tlI
be necessary TO condemn their lana. Up 10 uite
thirty-eight lots have been actually purchased by
the city and the sum CT S b has oe whdh s Io
members OF the Board. for reasons best known 10
themselves. do mot think 1t wise 10 acquire; az
lots OF which eleven. more than one-third, nave
been purchased. for s55,GJO 49, :, $500
Having gone so far. | must say that IL seems
TO me unwise in the extreme TO go backward even
a single step. We providing not for the needs
of the present the immediate future, but for all
the TVS to be the cGeSe of the wSde a
four blocks taken together. and 1t would be an
act of folly TO leave out one OF them. especially
when nearly onehaf OF Is ALREADY IN the PoS nnd
that tho whole Site will be needed in few years at
the furthes and, OF course. now Is the Tune 10
It,. The entire property can be purchaased
for $500 600 and by a supplementary bill passed by
The Legislature this year the Board OF Education Is
aut horned to spend that amount for site. am
grave mistake TO give up the northwest block,
he first P"Ging q Which 10hDS !: PgSPOsGH to
the intention of the Executive Committee TO put up
a building equipped in the best way for a college;
with labora tories, lecure-rooms and the Ike. and
we expect to induce several architects of estab-
llshed reputation TO compete for the honor OF
furnishing the design"