Omaha daily bee., 1899-04-20
SIZE OF BUILDING CUT DOWN
New High School Building is to Be $50 Feet
Long and 100 Feet Wide,
COST is TO BE KEPT WITHIN THE LIMIT
Selection of the Oakland Avenue site
Seems to Pleas the Majority
plenty of Ground for m At
trnctive Campus.

The new High school building to be
erected on Oakland avenue will not be as
large as was at first contemplated, as the
Board OF Education has practically decided
that the funds at its disposal Will not permit
1t. According to the plans submitted by
some Of the competing architects It was at
first thought that a building in the neigh
borhood OF 200 feet square could be erected
for the money that the board will have to
spend. A building, however, of this size
would have exhausted the entire fund at
disposal and left nothing with which to
equip the school.
The board now proposes to put up a
building with a frontage of about $50 feet
long and 100 feet deep. This, 1t is believed,
will provide ample room for present needs
and the building will be so constructed that
when occasion arises It can be added to
| without marring the architectural effect of
the structure.
In cutting down the size of the building
the main features of the interior. as at first
decided on, will be maintained, although
there will be fewer rooms. The brild'ag
is to consist of a sub-basement, basement
proper, most of which will be above ground,
and two stories above that. The sub
basement will be used solely for containing
the heating pipes. In the basement proper
VIII NC lut dIllOTy OF uTlu nail TOT the
cadets. On the main or first floor the large
assembly hall will be located, where the
graduation and other school exercises are
to be held. In all there will be about
twenty rooms, instead of twenty four, as
at first proposed. The heating plant will
be placed, as originally decided. in a small
building at the rear of the main structure.
Inc outside design Of the school house,
while handsome, will be somewhat plain,
as the board does not intend to lavish any
OF the money on external ornamentatiOn
The design that the board has at present
In mind is of a style severely classic, which
VIII give the building a decidedly hand
some and solid appearance.
The Oakland avenue property, selected as
the site for the new High school house.
VIII afford a large campus on all four sides
or the building. The tract has a frontage
of 254 feet on Oakland and 227 on Scott
street on the west. On the south side.
fronting on Ross street, the tract Is 3OS
teet, and on the north side, adjoining the
Mckesson property it is 343 feet. 1t will
thus De readily seen that a building 150xl2O
feet Will leave a large space available for a
campus or playground. This the board in
tends TO set out in trees and grass and the
grounds it is expected will present a very
ornamental appearance.
Inc cost OF grading the lot will be com
paratively small, as Contractor Wickham
VINO needs the dirt for the grade of the
fort Dodge & Omaha railway, has made
the board a very advantageous offer and
as soon as the title to the property has
been secured in the school district a con-
tract Will be entered into with him. Presi-
dent Sims stated yesterday that 1t was most
fortunate to find a person who required the
ulrt, as the grading would not cost more
than $500 or $500. The tract will not re.
qulre much grading, abou. the only work
necessary being the cutting off of the crest
which will have to be lowered some six feet
or so.
The selection of the Oakland avenue
property meets with almost universal favor
and those who formerly were opposed tc
the school being located north of Broadway
nave come to the conclusion that after all
the board chose for the best.
The special committee, consisting of the
president of the board and members Stewart
and Hess, has prepared a contract to be
entered into with Schoentgen G. Cox. the
architects, and it will be submitted at the
next meeting Of the board for approval
The contract provides that the architects
snail draw the plans, prepare the speciRca.
tons and superintend the construction
Inc remuneration has not been decided or
and Will not be until the board meets, but
IL VIII be . given per cent of the contract
price. Several other architects who were
bidders for the work offered to do it fol-
2t5 per cent and it is presumed that this
Will be about the figure that will be al.
lowed Schoentgen & Cox.