The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-01-08
NANS TO gHAN|E EVEE
REPORT OF THE SPECIAL COMMIT
TEE WAS MADE TO THE AS
SEM8LY LAST NIGHT
SHORE LINE TO BE CHANGED
Depot Company Is to Acquire and
Clear Fifty Feet West of Sib-
ley Street for High
way Purposes.

The joint committee on streets, of the
common council was to have had
meeting last night to consider the new
building ordinance and also the report Of
the special committee appointed to harm
cnize the differences between the common
council and the Union Depot company
regarding the conditions upon which the
public levee adjoining the depot property
shall be vacated. There was not a
quorum of the aldermanic committee
present and the matter of considering
the building ordinance was postponed
until Friday night
The assembly committee on streets got
| together, however, and listened to the
report of the committee on the Union
depot matter. After hearing the report
which was read by C. p. Moves, the mat
ter was laid over until a meeting of the
joint committee next Monday evening
Following is the report in full:
We have had several conferences with
the representatives of the st. Paul Union
Depot company, and have also had be-
fore us the recommendations heretofore
made by the various commercial bodies
or the city, recommending the granting
or tn me appncatlon upon terms which stall
be alike fair and reasonable to the depot
company and just to the city.
The need OF additional terminal facil-
! tiles for the handling of the great pas
lines entering the union station at this
city, is so well recognized and obvious
as not to require extended mention here.
The city of st. Paul largely by reason
OF the fact that the passenger trans
upon all the various railroads entering
the city, with one exception, arrive and
depart from the same station, has be-
come the transfer point between the East
and the West AS an illustration, IL rail-
road ticket from Chicago to Helena,
Mont, has attached. to it an appropriate
coupon emitting the holder to ride upon
the trains of a given line from Chicago
to ST. Paul and from st. Paul to Helena.
1t is obviously desirable that this condi-
ton, which IS of substantial value to the
city of st. Paul, should be continued and
it is essential to its continuance that
all of the various railroad lines should
be afforded proper FACT es for trans
acting their passenger business at the
Union station. The facilities now afford
ed are entirely inadequate and insult
Ecient. There is much confusion and in
cidental delay in the arrival and depart
ure of trains, owing to the insufficient
trackage and accommodations. The need
of additional tracks and increased 1acii-
lilies becomes apparent upon the Slight
est consideration of existing conditions.
1t Is lmperatiVely- necessary that the
station grounds be enlarged and C1Iat ad-
d1uonal tracks, switches and facilities
be provided. To do this it is necessary
to nave ADDITIONAL ground. The property
| lying to the north of the present depot
grounds is occupied by substantial build
rgs, used in the important jobbing trade
of the city, and could not be acquired
without great expense and needless sac
riffce, while tie property lying to the
south of the present station grounds,
! dedicated as a public levee a great many
years ago, before the construction of
the present vast system Of trunk rail-
way lines had ever been thought of, has
never been used for the purpos1T for
which it was dedicated, but is suitable
for the purpose for which the depot
company requires It.
ROOM ENOUGH FOR BOATS.
After a careful consideration of the
| present, as well as qthe prospective ex-
| tent of river traffic, your committee is
| of the opinion that all needed facilities
| for the handling of river traffic can be
afforded by the use of the portion Of tie
levee lying west of the east line of Sib-
ley street and that the portion of the
levee lying to the east Of the east line of
Slbley street is not and will not be re-
CURED for such purposes. The members
| Of your committee are unanimous in the
opinion that the applicat ion of the depot
company ought to be granted upon prop
er terms and conditions. The main ques-
ton has been, what ought the city to re-
qu1re Of the depot company as a cOndi-
ton to this vacation? In our efforts to
reach a just conclusion upon the ques-
ton we have not been unmindful of the
general proposition that public prop arty
ought not to be. delivered over or devo.ed
to private interests without the payment
conversation.
Looking at the project of extending the
present station facilities, including ac-
commodations for the Minneapolis &, ST.
Louis railroad, and possibly one or more
roads which may enter the city in the
near future, and the affording of proper
depot facilities as one Of public interest
as we'll as private enterprise, we have felt
that the city ought not to be too exact
ing or illiberal in the matter of condi-
tons. We undertook to get the depot
company to consent, as condition, that
1t should acquire the necessary property
and widen Sibley street to an additional
width of fifty feet, from Third street to
the railroad tracks. The representatives
of the company explained that the vari-
GUS railroad companies entering the union
station contribute each an equal amount
to the cost of terminal facilities and that
the cost of construction of the additional
trackage, including the arrangement of
the tracks of the Chicago, MfIwaukee &
st. Paul Railway company and the re-
moYal and rebuilding of its frei eht
houses, OF itself imposes very heavy
burden upon the smaller companies, and
that they are not in position to bear mora
or greater burdens
WHAT DEPOT COMPANY SHALL DO.
Your committee has reached the con-
clusion that if the depot company is re-
CURED to fill out and extend the present
shore line of the portion of the levee ly-
ing east of the east line of Sibley street
TO new harbof 7ine to be estab lished by
the government commencing at the shore
and extending to a point on the river
bank below Broadway street the ebv
greatly extending the present dock IA
cilitieS, and is required to convey to the
city the lot of ground so. by 100 feet on
the west side of Sfbley street Immediately
in front Of the station, taking down the
buildings thereon and grading and paw
ing the surface to correspond with the
remainder of SibleY street, thereby fur
nishing a place for carriages and other
c92ny7eyanctes to turn about and stand
While waiting for passengers, greatly in
creasing the present street facilities in
front of the station, and if the company.
in case it is found necessary to Wide
Slbley. street to this additional width of
fifty feet, the remainder of the distance
through to Third street, is required to
pay its just and proper proportion of the
expense of acquiring the additional lot
6O by 100 feet, needed for this purpose
and to waive its exemption from the
imposed upon the company's property as
its Just proportion of such expense the
city in view of all the facts and circum-
stances, will have received fair and ade-
quate consideration for the surrender of
its existing rights in the portion of the
levee east of Sibley street
These terms and requirements have
been Incorporated in an ordinance. grant
ing the application of the depot com
pany, and this ordinance is transmitted
fully submitted,
&C. P. Moves,
M. Gordon Craig
William H. Timer,
Emerson Hadley
James E. Markham,
III. F. Stevens,
Committee.
MISSION WOMEN TO MEET.