The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-07-06
New City Hall Another Step on
the Way.
General Plans Adopted by the
Cnnncil-
THE BONDS ARE SOLD.
VIII Be Issued at 8 ga Per
Cent.
Eastern People Anxious to Get
Topeka Securities.


warded the plans for the new city hall
auditorium. The bonds were sold and
the general plans for the buildings were
adopted.
The building committee had worked
all afternoon on general plans for the
building to serve as instructions to
architects. The plans Of City Engineer
Barnes were thoroughly examined and
a few changes suggested. One is for
a larger auditorium. The committee rec
Ommends that it be made to seat about
5000 people. This is none too large
The report of the building committee
was as follows:
ITO the Mayor and Council:
Your committee on public buildings,
pursuant to your direction, has given
long and careful consideration to the
question of the public buildings about
to be erected, and beg leave to make the
following report and recommendations
After consulting with the fire mar
shall we recommend that the fire de
partment be located upon the three
fractional lots on the corner of the site
selected on July 3. Said building to be
two stories high, Of permanent materials
and in every way worthy of the pur-
pose which it is to serve.
''SecOnd-We recommend that the city
hall and auditorium be included in one
building; the former to be two stories
high and affording approximately ten
thousand square feet of floor space
appropriately divided into thirty-twO
rooms, especial attention being given to
secure a cOmmOdiOuS council chamber.
The auditorium to have a main floor and
one balcony, with seating capacity of
approximately five thousand, with suit
able committee and other necessary
rooms and cOnveniences.
'"Third-We recommend that cOmpetf-
tive plans be invited from architects for
the city hall and auditorium and fire
department along the general lines
herein suggested. The size of the city
hall and auditorium, the distribution
and arrangement of rooms external
architectural features and like matters
to be left to the discretion of the archi-
tects. The floor plans of the fire de-
partment building to be furnished by
the fire marshal.
"FOurth-We recommend that prizes
of $500, 5000 and 500 be offered for the
best three plans submitted, and that in
addition, the successful competitor be
employed to assist the city engineer in
the preparation OF complete plans and
specifications and in the supervision of
the construction of said building so far
as his services be necessary in that be-
half
Councilmen Belts, Benson and Cha
ney voted in favor Of the report in the
committee and Councilman Blossom
against it. When it came up for dis
cusSiOn Councilman Blossom explained
his position.
Il want to explain why I voted
against the report of the committee. 1t
is not because I want to stand in the
feel that the provisions made for the
fire department are not Adequate
Mayor Drew-It seems to me that
you have bound the architects by this
report so that we will not be able to
get their ideas You tell them Just what
kind of a building you want and they
will not be able to exercise their inge-
nuity.
Councilman Warner-I would like to
know that if this report is adopted we
will be able to make any changes we
desire afterward?
Councilman Betts-Yes, that is under
stood.
Councilman NetteIs-As 1 understand
it these plans win belong to US after
this competition and we can do what
ever we please with the plans. If we
want to make any changes we may do
City Attorney Bird would like to
call the attention of the council to the
fact that you may get yourselves IN
deep water by offering this $500 in pri-
zes. I do not know whether you are
authorized to do that and you may
have to pay the money back yourselves.
Councilman Hughes-There is some
thing peculiar about this. 1 would like
to know how we are going to be able to
erect a building without plans Our
city engineer is not an architect and
cannot be expected to make the plans.
1t has been my experience that plans
always go with buildings. They are Il
part of the building as much the
roof is and we will have to get them
some way.
Councilman Mergan-I see no reason
why we cannot get the plans as sug-
gested. The plans are surely a part of
the building because it cannot be built
without them.
Councilman Burgess-We have to
have something to work on. If we can
not pay for these plans directly we can
take the money out Of the street fund
or something of that kind. We want to
do things right and I don't believe in
being frightened by this talk about
having to pay for the plans. If they
can get the money out of me I would
like to know it for would like to know
right now where I could put my hand
on some money for I need it.
Mayor Drew-My objection IS that
you do not give the architects enough
latitude.
Councilman Roundtree-I do not be-
lieve that it is best to hold the archi-
tects down too closely. I think it would
be better to employ some one to assist
the engineer.
Councilman Nettels-I would like to
call the attention of the council to the
fact that these plans are as general as
they can well be made. We must give
the architects some instructions. They
must know how large an auditorium we
want, how much seating capacity We
must have and how many rooms and
how much floor space there is to be. I
do not see how the report could be more
general. We say that the building must
seat approximately 5000 people, that 1t
must be constructed of permanent ma
terfaI and that it must cover approx
mately 1000 square feet.
Councilman Warner think that we
would better employ an architect to
work under the supervision of the city
engineer. In that we will avoid any
possibility of getting ourselves into
trouble
Councilman Willard would like to
call the attention OF the council to the
fact that the city engineer has all he
can do If we are going TO force MIN
to work overtime he ought to be paid
for the work and I believe that he