New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-07-31
AN ACRE OFFICE BUILDING.
PLAN FOR TWENTY STORY STRUCTURE
AT BROADWAY AND MORRIS-ST.
STRENGTHENING OF SIXTH-AVE ELEVATED
ROUTE TO BATTERY PART OF SCHEME
A ROOF RESTAURANT.

Negotiations are under way for the purchase Of
the parcel owned by the Manhattan Elevated Rail-
way Company at the southeast corner of Morris anu
Greenwich SITS. Should the overtures be successful
II will mean the carrying out of a huge building
operation. The improvement planned is the building
of a twenty story office building on a plot having
frontage of about go feet in Broadway. about the
same frontage in Greenwich-st, and about ZOU rect
in Morrs-st and union elevated station at Green
witch and Morris 1t also includes the straight
ening of the Sxth-ave. elevated structure so that
there would be no curve in the road as IL turns
into Greenwich-st. at Morris-st 1t would De
straight route from Murray-st. to the Battery
The office building to be erected on the premises
would occupy 1t is said. more area than any other
building of its kind in this city. An idea OF the
immensely of the project may be had from the fact
that the size of the plot which the office building
will stand is about 600 square feet. or little less
than an acre. There not many buildings be-
tween the Battery and the city limits which stand
on an acre of ground and the few that are on such
plots do not rise to great heights.
w H. Mairs is the person who is thinking of I'M
dertaking this project, involving the expenditure
of many millions of dollars He owns the plot
St where for many years the Stevens House has
stood. Since his purchase OF that propeTrty sev-
eraI wears ago he mas bought some adjoining par
cells so that he now holds title to about half an
aG r9o GI to G%G Snoher the shape of his
is almost perfect oblong with JTontsge OF r 10
value fsu of his land is about 100000 and of that
owned by the Manhattan Railway 6 Psn3y WRcb
figures in the undertaking is about $45OO.ooo. and
the total sum represented in the project is more
than 100000. as the building Will cost, II IS
thought at least the value of the land on whicn
it will stand -, -, -,
The Stevens House is OF the well known
landmarks of lower Broadway. Adjoining II on the
west is a low brick building, occupied by the man,
haitian Railway Company and frequently Ga4 S
the property building, as .artCIes lost on tne
railway sent there. Adjoining the proposed ste
OF the office building the south Is the Bownng
Green Building, and south Of the latter Is the
Washington Building. 49,
1t is Said that George J. Could looks with favor favor
on the plans for the improvement OF the Man
haitian and MARS parcels in case the Manhattan
plot is sold SIR MairS, and for the Strengthening
of the elevated stTu, ture at Morris and Creen"lch
SITS and the building of a union station there LOT
the use of the Sixth and Ninth ave. trains MT;
Mairs is said TO have offered to buy the plot owned
nv the Manhattan Railway under an agreement
that the railway shall retain the right 10 use
part OF the parcel in making the route OF the eie-
waited structure almost a straight line and IN
building a union station at Morris and greenwich
SITS Mr. Gould 1t was learned, has decided not 10
act upon this offer until the motive power OF tne
Sixth and Ninth lines has been changed from rom
steam to electricity So II will be several months
before it will be known definitely whether or not
this plan will be carried out. N,
The building which II is proposed to erect WI,
have a restaurant the roof, which VIII occupy
the entire space of the acre roof. This restaurant
will he open all night and the floor Immediately De-
meath IL will be used for hotel purposes