New-York tribune., 1897-02-07
THE ACADEMY'S NEW SITE
A BLOCK FRONT PURCHASED IN AMsTER-
DAM-ANE.
TIE QUESTION T1NALLY DETERMINED BY
VOTE OF THE MEMBERS OF THE ACADEMY

TIE QUESTION FINALLY DErERMINED BY
VOTE OF THE MEMBERS OF THE ACADEMY
OF DEsIGN-REAsoNs FOR THE CHOICE.
The question which has caused no end of discus
sion, and not a little feeling, among the members
of the National Academy of Design-ihat or the
selection OF a new site-has finally been definitely
decided. The contract was closed yesterday ior inc
puxchase by the Academy of the entire east block
front in Amsterdam-ave.. between One-hundred-
and-ninth and Observation-Disclosures SITS. The plot
contains sixteen city lots and has frontage IN
Amsterdam-ave OF lilo feet and In each OF the
streets of 200 feet The land is bought from John d.
Crimmins Simon Bernhelmer and the estate OF
Isaac Bernheimer at s2i5.0O0. II. II. Cammann
Co. were the brokers
The Academy received ss05 900 from the Metropoli-
tan Life Insurance Company for its present site
and building at Twenty -thlrd-st. and Fourth-ave.
Some OF this money has already been expended ny
the Academy for various purposes. After the new
site is paid for the Academy will have left about
S75.CoO as an available building fund. The Site Is
opposite that which the Cathedral OF 81 Johh
the Divine is to be erected, and Is near the mana
some new buildings Of St. Luke's liospi'al ana
Columbia University. The fact that the Academy
has decided 10 build there cannot fan TO ne OF
great benefit to the property In that section Oh 'e
city, ard is almost sure to prevent the erection OF
arc now to be found directly below IT,
The decision ~ TO the site made at a meeting
OF the members Of the Academy held at the Acaue'h!
builline on Wednesday evening last. AT when me
Committee on Site and Plan submitted 10 the mem
bers two sites OF which the foregoing was one H.
H. Cammann e. Co. had secured from the sellers an
option on the site at the price named In fact
the brokers have secured options for the Academy
for this same site before and had been trying for
more than n year TO close contract WIN tHe
Academy for the purchase OF the property Inc OILY
other site which seriously considered Oy the
Academicians that in West Fiity-sevehth-s''
next 10 the Fine Arts building. The principal objec-
ton urged against this locality was the great cost OF
land in connection with the fact that in order 10
obtain n suitable width ii would be necessary to buy
and the ground an expensive bniidhg recently
erected there This made the price or the ffty-seN-
enth-st. site considerably more than the Academy
was willing to pay
The vote for the selection OF a site was taken by
sealed ballot on Wednesday evening and the ballots
were not counted till the following night. when more
than wo-thirds Of the votes were found TO be IN iayof
the result OF this ballot President Thomas w Wood,
Treasurer James d. smillie and j. g. Brown II litte k
after noon yesterday. signed the deeds on behalf OF
the Academy for the purchase of the One-hundred-
and-tenth-st. property IA. {,
In favor Of the One-hundred, ,and-tenth-s site IL
was urged that owing to the less costly rates rate 81, Tor
real estate in that section more Sop sm
in keeping with the Academy's resources Another
argument advanced by those VINO favored the up
town site was the tendency of the city TO grow in
that direction and the of access to II from q
considerable part OF the best residential section OF
New-York Moreover. II was evident that by Sc
curing this land the Academy would be certain OF
surroundings I'm keeping with its character: "
The Committee on Site and Plan. which hnany
purchased the new property, was appointed, WIN
power TO act on November % last, after several
previous committees had failed to agree on sltS
# consisted of the following members of the Acaa
envy: Thomas ". Wood president; James NJ Hart
vice president: j. Carroll Beckwith. CORRESPONDING
secretary; George II. smllie; recording secretary y
rrar j
Brown. Robert Blum. +. S. Church. FREDERICK Dlel-
man H Bolton Jones ]. C. Nicoll. f. Wood Perry
and Harry w Watrous The committee organized
on November 80 by choosing James NJ Hart chair
man and j. C.. Nicoll secretary. ,
There are eighty-eight members OF the Acad M a
emv 100 being the limit. Heretofore Academicials
could he elected only az the annual meetings IN
March bylaw recently passed allows their election
at quarterly meetings