New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-08-09
4 REAL ESTATE TRANSACTION.

REIL ESTATE fhiNrht r1c''
The Health Department having actually
moved into the building formerly occupied ny
the New-York Athletic Club, at SiXtn'ave. anu
I'ifty-ffth-st., everybody must hope that good
fortune will avert the serious calamity when IL
is not unreasonable TO fear, and that the new
place may not be found excessively inconveh-
lent for the transaction Of important pubic
business There Is no reason however, Tor hesl-
tating TO call general attention to the fact that
the transfer of the Department from quarters
where IL was suitably and conveniently housed
is a strange and unacceptable proceeding. IL
has been made to appear, how correctly we 90
not know that the occupation OF rooms IN the
Criminal Courts Building by the Health De
partment was extremely Objectionable to the
Judges sitting there, and that chiefly on THIS ac-
count it was deemed desirable to fnd accolnmo-
dations for the Department elsewhere. II the
attitude of the judges is fairly represented II
does not follow that their anxiety TO get rid OF
their former neighbors was well founded, ana IN
point of fact we have never come across sat
isfactory statement of their case. But, AFTER ALL
the main question is not why the Board OF
Health should have been turned out or the
Criminal Courts Building but why it should
have been sent up TO a particular edlflce III
Fifty-ffth-st. far from the centre of municipal
business
The old habitaion of the New-iOr Athletic
Club was purchased under the direction OF MT
Croker with the intention of establishing under
IFS roof the moribund Democratic Club which
he was then engaged in reviving and expanding
TO its present status and proportions hut for
reasons presumably satisfactory 10 himself ne
subsequently decided that it would he better TO
remodel the Fifth-aye. house and put the ath-
letic club building on the market again ms
was done and a purchaser was found IN the
person of Henry j. Braker, who paid S1'O,0oO
for the property not without reasonable as
surancc. rs II would seem, that he was getting
good thing At all events. his faith has been
rewarded for he has leased the building to thu
city for $4,000 year which gives him about
9Ib per cent on his investment Taxes are
heavy and in some cases assessments are eX-
trcmely high. but it must be admitted that Mr..
Braker is getting very neat and pleasing re-
turn on his money.
We like to see sagacity and merit thrive and
IL Mr. Braker were able to show that he had
shrewdly made an uncommonly good bargain In
the purchase Of the athletic club building, that
on any fair estimate Of its rental value 1t was
worth a great deal more in the open market
than he paid for It, and especially that 1t was
extraordinarily well adapted to the purposes OF
the Health Department, we should cheerfully
congratulate him on the results Of his real
estate transaction with Mr.. Croker. But we do
not understand that such are the facts. II IS
certainly not believed, and we do not remember
that anybody has ever asserted, that the new
quarters of the Health Department are pecul-
arly we'll suited TO its requirements In any way,
while 1t is frankly acknowledged that In one
most important respect they are lamentably de-
ficient The building makes no pretence OF be-
ing fireprcof but will constantly expose the in
valuable records Of the Department to destruc-
ton There was general satisfaction when
these records were safely housed, not long ago.
ia the ugly but convenient and safe Criminal
Courts Building, and their removal to rooms in
which incessant vigilance can only diminish the
danger Of an irreparabe loss would abundanty
Justify more exhaustive inquiry than has yet
been made as TO the reasons for the change. To
borrow and adapt the striking phrase IN which
President Murphy Of the Health Board insnu
ated dreadful things against the asphalt pave
ment bacillus last winter, there may be more
in this than he is aware Of" though there can
not well be more than the public suspects.