New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-09-20
ARCIDES ~ CITY STREETS.
HOW WOULD THE PLAN WORK IN NEW
YORK?
THE MATTER LOOKED AT FROM TWO POINTS OF
vlEw-A ZIG CITY BUILDING WITH Az
ARCADE on CHAMBERS. ST SCG-
GEsTED-THE IDEA FAMILIAR
~ SOUTH AMERf-


GEsTED-THE IDEA FAMILIAR
IN SOUTH AMEEr-
CAN TOWNS
Tho recen, decision OF the city authorities not to
proceed with any scheme OF widening Rector-st.
during the present administration lirectS attention
again 10 the plan ~ arcades IN some ~ NeW-l
streets which has been talked Of at times in con-
neciion with Rect0r-st Ann-s;. and other thorough
fares The arcade pan OF construction = familiar
10 visitors Paris and other European cities but
there are some differences ~ opinion to IT, APP
plicahy to the American metropolis. Many people
are strongly convinced TIA; it would be well 70
make a trial Of here. and declare that II IL the
most practicable method ~ dealing with some OF the
narrow and crowded streets in the lover part OF the
city
Certainly II 1t were to no tried anywhere. Ana-st..
which is too contracted in wiith to 10 termed
thorcushfare. AMI is hardly better than alley.
would appear 20 De the best possible place for the
experiment The idea would be to set back the
shop fronts the first story a. TO provide for
A Sidewalk rooted over by the second story while
the present sidewalk would be aided 10 the wheel
way nearly doubling the width OF the latter
Sidewalk SO constructed would be protected from the
weather both summer and winter: goods and wares
could displayed outside the shops without detri
men from the e'ements. ant people stroling along
the street would have their attention specially
,ractei to what offered for sale and would be
] -1 m
20 be seen only through tho medium Of pateslass
windows
T, IL easy ~ offer variety OF arguments In favor
~ arcades both from the point OF view of the shop
keeper and from that ~ the great public. over
against thon1 IL b" the fact that in narrow
street the shops would. especially In cloudy weather.
be uncomfor,a5iy dark making 1t necessary to con-
sumo large guartites Of electricity or gas. How
ever thu people would be vastly accommodated II
! hoy were able 20 walk IN ler an arcade or colon
made IN bal weather. for a covered sidewalk would
- provided for 'hom. though different plan
| from that advocated ~ Edward Belamy in Look
! ny Backward"
a CITY BUILDING COVERING A BLOCK.
In connection with this plan OF sidewalk and shop
construction exceedingly Interesting suggestion
Vas thrown out Yesterday by prominent city OIL
r.al IN conversation with the writer. What he said
was This
There - no doubt In nv mind as what the
city ought 10 b. IN the matter ~ providing public
Offices ror those departments ard bureaus for which
.t IS paying very large sum In rentals sum
sufficient pay the interest liberal expenditure
FOR this purpose believe thar Instead 81 building
| = Hall ~ Records a part NJ the block bounded
| hy Chambers. ReaIe AMI Centre So and Broadway.
| 10 should purchase the entire block AMI put UP a
building large enough to furnish all the quarters
needed f0r municipal Departments. FOR the courts
ana other purposes. The proposed Hall Of Records
may be all right a. FAR as u goes. though can see
no reason why there should not b~ twelve-story
build nR instead Of of eight stories bur II Will
! not give ha.r the room that Is needed
With such front ! have In mind. running
| from Broadway 10 Ccnire-st a high building could
| bc erected TO advantage and be made attractive
| arch.tectUraly. on Cham5ers-st | would provide
! arcadrd sidewalk. perhaps twenty-five feet In
width. AMI the present sidewalk / would throw into
the carrDagc-way making a street OF respectable
width for tia; distance. The Offices on this side Of
/ lIrtr fff.Hs sf.
| Water Rates the Receiver Of Taxes
Another important thing would be- 70 lemollsh
The offensive Tweed Courthouse. FOR "a have said.
mniep. bHang WHEN should s1S 5a an , inf ew IN
every respect worthy ~ the great city Of Nev-YOrk
he Pos;cfIce domination a.so removed and the
| city Hall Park restored 20 what II used 20 De-
twenty-five or thirty years ago.
OF course any one making such 4 proposition
| VIII be met with the objection But all this would
| cost a great deal " money or course. it would.
| but It would be- money well used. Americans spend
| large sums OF money every year In Paris FOR no
better reason tnan that Paris is a beautiful city.
II cost something 10 make II beautiful. but Parts
gets back every year good part Of what it has
| spent Now New-York has immense natural adj
vantases over Paris in point Of being made at
situation. and yet Ncw-Yorkers are always cry
| ing out against any large expenditure for great
public works-n which they are decidedly short
AS for the arcade method of construction on
lied opinion though Il is evident that there would
bc certain advantages from adopting II. In the
! should advocate II most strongly.
BENEFITS or CONCENTRATIONS
There is another thing he said in favor OF
M plan and that IS the benefits that would be- de-
rived from the concentration OF municipal Offices
| 20 that II an official In Of them had to visit
| another ne would not have far - 20 and would
not have TO go out Of doors. There would be much
| economy IN this In this relation I should like 10
| antor a protest against building the new court
! house for the Appellate Division up by Madison
| SQUARE instead OF In the vicinity OF the other
| courts II there is ? good reason for doing this
| II has not been pointed out to me. Anyhow. al
most all the lawyers have their Offices well down
| town and II would be a decided inconvenience for
! them 10 have 10 go up 10 Twenty -hfth-st. every
! time they have a case on appeal | am sure that
| there would be economy In concentration. and in
a great building occupying whole square there
would be room enough for all the courts. IN add
/ "a prominent engineer OF the city when spoken
10 on the subject. displayed much interest I'm the
Would work in New-York," said he. but / am
familiar with i from haSing seen 1T n Lima.
tor,unat.v / I'm not good sailor and have
! never vet been across the Atlantic although have
! method OF construction In the cities down there.
especially near ne pa.as, The advantage the
81 The open space in front the shops are so
Dark as they would otherwise be. Ore reason for
using ms pa" 10 II the Equator which makes it de-,
sirable TO have covered Sidewalks. n!thoueh In
rS n. Si Lima is only twelve degrees south New.
York has no such reason Tor arcaded walks
I think OF some ~ the excessively hot days we
nave had recently. 1t Is a question 1i though
you'd bc A. free a circulation Of air as Is now
rossIble though t. doesn't very free At times.
ihn experiment tried. and short and narrow
street like Ann-st would be just the place 10
try it."
4 HEN or TWO COLORS.