The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-04-26
Mr.. TAYLOR ON THE SITES
UNIVERSITY SQUARE BEST FROM
ARCHITECTURAL STANDPOINT.
New building VIII he Three Stories
High and $50 by o Feet in
DimensIcns.

THE best site for the new postofice,"
said James K. Taylor. government super
vising architect, yesterday afternoon. is,
undoubtedly. the square just south Of Uni
versity Park. from an architectural point
OF view. The park on the north and the
surroundings of the square on the other
three sides give the best opportunity for the
architectural beauty Of the building to have
full showing. Besides there is plenty of
fresh air and the courts would be undis-
turbed to a great degree by the noise of
the business center Of the city"
From all points Of view do you think
this site is the best?" Mr.. Taylor was asked.
But he would not commit himself. Zone
could hardly form a conclusive opinion IN
twenty-four hours" he said. and. anyhow,
L would not care to express an opinion"
All day yesterday Mr.. Taylor rode about
town In n carriage with members of the
Columbia Club and he met many site pro-
moters." At G o'clock Mr.. Cullen, the man
ager OF the Denison House, gave an informal
dinner for Mr.. Taylor, at which were present
a number OF members of the Board Of Trade
and the Commercial Club and others in
terested in the location of the new post
office. In answer TO a question OF what
kind of a building the new postoffice will
be. Mr.. Taylor said:
Its dimensions viii probably be go by
300 feet and three stories high"
Those who urge what has come to be
called "the University Park Site were feel
ing pretty well after they had talked with
Mr.. Taylor. Il like a site where the build
ing can be surrounded by a park" he said.
HE TALKS OF THE SITES.
When Mr.. Taylor was asked to talk about
the different sites he said:
Il saw five proposed sites to-day-the
park site. the Cyclorama site, the Ken
tucky-avenue triangle, the site east of Tom
linson Hall and, of course, the present site.
The ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS triangle has a great
disadvantage because OF its shape. Those
who have suggested a quadrant Of Monu-
ment place will have the same setback.
The Cyclorama site and the site east Of
Tomlinson Hall are rather out of the way.
The only disadvantage possessed by the
University Park site is that it is a square
farther away from the South Side than the
present site. Sill / understand that the
owners of the two largest manufactures On
the South Side favor the park site"
The promoters OF the park site presented
the following argument TO Mr., Taylor:
THE square may be bought for 500, 600.
The value OF the present site OF the post
Office is $4,000. II the new postoffice be
built there you must add to that the cost
of additional ground, which will be 800, 900,
and the cost OF moving and maintaining
the postoftice and the federal offices in a
rented building, which will be 100000. The
total cost. If the present site of the post
office be retained for the new building. will
be S6O,VW-the same as the cost of the Uni
versity Park site. The University Park site
contains more ground; II has architectural
advantages; 1t is down town and Is still out
OF the noise of down town; the town grows
toward the north: there is no economy in
putting the postoffice on either the Cyclic
rama site, the Kentucky-avenue triangle,
or the site east Of Tomlinson Hall and they
are clear out OF the way"
LONG TIME BEFORE BEGINNING.
MI. Taylor nodded at this exploitation Of
the park site.
Il shall be here until day after to-mor-
row." said he. "I will make a report TO
Secretary of the Treasury Gage Of the facts
as 1 have found them in Indianapolis. I
will set out the conditions that a business
man looks after when he is trying to de-
eide on the best location for his store. I
will make no recommendation unless Mr..
Gage asks for it. He will study my report
and will select the site, II he finds my re-
port satisfactory. He may, but L hardly
think he will. appoint a commission to look
over the field, as j am doing, and make
a report. Before the erection of the build
ing is begun, about eight or ten months will
eelapse, for the site must be paid for and
the district attorney and the attorney gen.
eral and the Treasury Department. Mr..
Gage may either appoint a departmental
architect to draw the plans for the build
ing. or he may choose the plans by com,
petition among architects. / hope that I
may have charge of the plans and the
building of the new postoffice here, because
II will be the last of the large government
buildings TO be constructed for some time.
The building will be finished within four
years"
Though Mr.. Taylor talked to many people
and on all sides of the new postoffice site
question yesterday he said he was having
a good time in Indianapolis and his new
for him. He thought Indianapolis a beauti-
full city.