New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-11-18
REMEDY FOR OLD DISGRACE
Confined from First Page3

purchase this real estate for the mere purpose OF
passengers is far from rosy. Inc 4TIpuIl6 oOeo
] PLAN SUGGESTED.
But The Tribune does think that way out OF
the difficulty can be found. For years the city
groaned under the inconvenience of having the
tracks of the New-York Central Railroad cross
the Harlem River at grade. The cost Of eleVat-
ing the tracks too great for the railroad 10
undertake alone The city not long ago stepped
in and offered TO defray part OF the expense. ne
company undertook TO foot the rest OF the plL;
The tracks were then elevated, and this resulted
10 the mutual advantage of the city the citizens
the roads patrons and It's stockholders. II the
same course were pursued in the case OF the
Manhattan Elevated Railroad in Park Row, the
same results would probably foIIow pecause IN, ts
Manhattan directors know good thlng WheI
they see II. and are always willing 10 accePt
something for nothing. But some may be ape
easily TO see how a part payment by Inc cry IoF
real estate 10 be utilized by the Manhattan
would benefit that railroad and also its patrons,
ana al me sane s enat tbe civ itself
4 brief survey Of the property which ad1olns on
the north the NewYork entrance TO the Brook.
Ign Bridge will open their mental eyes 10 INC
truth of this proposition also.
If the present platform of the City Hall station
Of the elevated railway were broadened ana eA.
tended in an easterly direction IL would slice of
the tops of several buildings which stand on
small triangular block The base OF TINS nIock
rests against the approach TO the Bridge, ana
the apex is formed by the junction Of PARK Row
and North William-st. II is short block and
! q narrow
Of comparatively little value. Some day they
are likely 20 be RACED in order TO make way for
a modern sky scraper and then the property VIII
be perhaps 100 costly 70 purchase. IN IT'S pres
emf condition the city ought TO be able 10 con-
denim and buy half the block for little in excess
OF the value Of the site The space so acquired
would be cleared Of its present buildings and
the street surface could then be turned 10 good
advantage s broader approach 70 the Brioge
and also as a widening Of Park Row al that
point. which is always overcrowded and so IN
comfortably filed with pedestrians that one
with difficulty makes headway upon the narrow
sidewalk. II Park Fow is badly congesteo there
now in the busy hours, what VIII II be IN rev
years more? No New-Yorker ever forgets that
his CITY grows constantly. He is proud Of ii and
glad Of il. But every and then II IS neces-
sary 20 point out to him his duty 10 the New
York Of the future. Here is a case in point
Park Row is already narrow for the trafhc
il has bear al the north side Of the Bridge
entrance. and in few years more the congestion
will become unendurable. Why not XII TWO
birds with one stone why not widen Fark
Row % feet now and the same time relieve
the terrible Inconvenience which passengers en-
dure the City Hall station Of the elevated
road?
THREE PLATFORMS NEEDED.
BY this means ample room would be afforded
for the construction oyer the widened Park Row
Of three parallel platforms for the elevated sta
ton. One Of these which may be called plat
form "A" would lie between the uptown and
downtown tracks On this platform all passen-
gers who desired 10 go uptown would await
their trains Platform b would lie east OF
the tracks, and might extend almost 10 the
fronts Of the buildings on the east side Of wild
ened Park Row. Platform CO would lie west OF
the tracks as close 70 the STATS Zeitung'
Building as the present platform now is. Trains
coming into the station from uptown would DIS
embark their passengers upon platforms =
and C" and be al once renIled from the oppo-
site side with the passengers waiting upon plat
form 4" who desired 10 80 uptown. By this
simple method the uptown stream would no
longer be obliged TO buck the downtown stream,
and City Hall station could be transformed
from an outlandish barbarisn into modern
convenience.
That the Manhattan Railway would be willing
70 meet the city least haIfW ay in this scheme
seems likely from the manner n which Alfred
Tribune reporter laid II before him the other day.
He said the company would be willing 70 CO
tent" Just what share Of the expense his road
wyuld bear he was not then prepared 10 state
But there is another quarter in which part Of
the expense would be borne. One OF the Of
fcers Of the Department Of Taxes said that
The proposed widening Of Park Row would add
and that the owners benefting thereby would
be ordered 70 pay generous proportion OF
the expense. The property adjoining would be
greatly enhanced IN value, and the owner or
owners would be assessed accordingly.
\ tracing from the maps OF the Department
Of Taxes and Assessments made OF the
property as Il now stands II IS bounded by
Park ROW. North Wiham-st and the BROOKLYN
Bridge, The property IS nearly triangular II
shape, and resem bles broad-nosed fatiron- II
consists Of lots Nos % "a % and 26 of city
block No. l21 and its dimensions are 1911 by
1908 by I6 by : feet. The frontage in Park Row
Is l2l1 feet. and the street numbers are - 10 SO
inclusive. If Park Row IS widened by the
QUESTION Of these lots, TO a depth Of twenty-five
t7et the dimensions Of the property remain ng
would he 6o.1 by 50,4 by IS by : feet a reduction
o. about DO per cent This would leave frontage
n Park Row Of CO., feet. instead Of 1911.
a present, and would widen the square az the
junction Of Park Row ans North Wnliar-st
The proposed condemnation would entirely elm
mate Nos. So s.. 81 and 50 Park Row and
would destroy one-half Of the buildings repre-
alFearance the block would retain its present
cor+iguration
VALUE OF THE PROPERTY
The buildings. varying from twenty 10 sixty
feet in height, are generally in fair condition.
but are small and unimposing. They are rented
to proprietors Of small capital with the excep-
ton Of the Oasis. 4 somewhat pretentious saloon
owned by Weinberg & Fresco The buildings
which would be entirely destroyed are occupied
oy the Old Spot Cigar Store Max Rosenblum
proprietor, No. 50 Park Row. the loan Office of
William Goldstone. No. ST Park Row. the to-
bacco shop Of Weinberg & Fresco, No. s. Park
FoW, ana Herrlngs lunch room, No. So ad-
joining. The buildings the depth of which would
be reduced by one-half are occupied by the
Oasis, a saloon. Weinberg & Fresco, proprietors
Nos 81 and 10 Park Row; the saloon of A
wine cellars No IS Park Row. No IS Of This
street is the site Of the new Bridge entrance
The assessed valuation OF the entire block de-
scI1btd Is Sl91,0O. One-half Of this sum or
$4,000, would represent the assessed value If
the titles necessary for the fulflent Of the pro
posed twenty five foot widening Allowing for
the conservatism with which valuations by CITY
ofnclals are made, il is more than probable that
the city would be compelled to pay double rhe
assesSed value OF the property. 1t is estimated
that $4,000 would be demanded for all tha
necessary the n r1a