The age-herald., 1901-10-13
AN ARGUMENT FOR PARKS.
Proposition to Purchase Property On
 the Southside.

To the Editor of the Age-Herald: The Mayor and Board of Aldermen have under consideration proposed pur- chase for park purposes of the block ly- ing between Twenty-hrst and Twenty second streets and Magnolia avenue and Tenth avenue, South, and the east half of the block lying between said avenues and Twentieth and Twenty-first streets. This property has combined frontage on said avenues of 1475 feet and com bined frontage on Twenty-first and Twen- ty-second streets of 645 feet. It is access sibie by four car lines-the Highland ave- nue line that runs on Magnolia avenue in front of 1t, the Twentieth street line, the Loop line and the Cottonwood avenue line that come together at Five Points in a half block of it.
 For park purposes 1t now has the nat ural advantage of being thiclly shaded by beautiful oak trees
 It is understod that if the city will buy this property and hold it for park or other public improvements that 1t can be purchased for a very reasonable sum, in view of the fact that the company owns other property ip the vicinity that would be enhanced in value, perhaps for less than one-half of what 1t could be pur- chased for by individuals or for what similar property has been selling for. The South Highland fire department is now located on this half-block under a lease from the Birmingham Realty Com pany that expires in eight or nine years The city has no park or other property in this section of the city, and there is no other vacant property in this section of the city in body that can be had. | AS the city needs the property for pur- poses above stated, 1t should buy this fl possible. It is quite likely that If the pur. chase is delayed that the price will in. crease according as values increase It is also likely that if the purchase is delayed that the property, or a part of it. will he sold to and improved by individuals, and then can't be had at any reasonable 1 price.
 l Another reason why the city should own 1t is because the lease for the firf | department will expire within eight O, nine years, and it is almost certain tha, at this time the Realty Company will nave sold out its holdings in this sectior and feel no further interest in the main. tenance of this fire department here. The nre department at this point Is now a ne. cessity. and at the expiration of the Ieaa. will be indispensable, and if if does no, now acquire the property, it is quite DOS. sipie that when the lease expires it would have to give as much or nearly as rnuct for the lot 1t is on,. or for another lot. as 1t would have to give now for the whole l block and a half.
 l Another reason is that as the city has no property in this section, that in five
 or six years. or perhaps ten years. the city will have to provide sites for scboo
 buildings, or other public buildings which would cost them perhaps as much as the whole property now would; and if 1t pur. chases now, when the necessity for a school building comes, the city could then locate it, and several other large buildings on this half block, retainins the fire department, and still have the whole block for park. This site for a | park. fire department or school buildings would perhaps reach the demands of as many people as at any other point in the city.
 The purchase by the city is desired and petitioned for by a large number of citizens and taxpayers living in the vicinity and as the necessity for the city to own it at some time is apparent. would it not be both wisdom and econ omy for the city to acquire it?
 R. B. SMYER.