The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1902-12-09
FOR A new
NO. ELEVEN
The City Concludes to Buy
the Speer Property Adjoin-
ing the Old School on
Bergen Square.
LEWIS TO RECEIVE $500
He Must Pay His Years Taxes
He Bought the Plot for
Sc, 500.

The Board of Finance decided yester-
day afternoon to buy the Speer property
adjoining Public School No. IL on Ber-
gen Square, for the purpose of enlarging
the site for new school building which
Mayor Pagan has set his heart on erect
ing before he is succeeded by a Democrat
next fall.
The property is situated north of the
school and faces Bergen avenue. The
Board agreed to pay Charles A. Lewis,
the real estate man, $500 for the land
and building, providing he will consent
to give deed free and clear Of all en-
cumbrances. This means that Mr.. Lewis
must consent to pay the taxes which are
due on the property for this year. The
sum of $1,000 was originally demanded
of the city for the property
MADE A FINAL OFFER.
Mr.. Lewis made final Offer to the
city yesterday afternoon. He said in
a communication that he did not want to
hinder the procuring of additional land
for new No. IL School. Although he
considered the property worth more than
the price quoted, he said that he would
reduce his figure $500 if the city would
assume the taxes due on it. The offer,
he wrote, would be open ten days. II
Iedon't hear from you in the time re-
ferred to- he concluded, Il will take it
for granted that you don't want it.
The decision to buy was reached in
the adoption of a report of a special
committee which inquired into the de-
STABILITY of the old estate as to an ad-
ditional site for school. The Finance
Committee of the Board was authorized
and directed to make the purchase.
MUST PAY TAXES.
The proposition that Mr.. Lewis should
pay the taxes due instead Of the city
assuming that obligation came from Com
missioner Henry Lembeck. Mr.. Lewis
will probably consent to accept the offer
with the conditions imposed. He bought
the property from the Ogden family not
many months ago for $500 and viii
make profit on the deal that Sisn't to
be sneezed at.
DOOMED THE ROAIAINE SITE.
For long time somebody was trying
to convince the administration that the
Romano property facing Academy street
in the rear of the school and running
through to Dick street, would make an
admirable addition to the present school
SITE The mayor fell in with the scheme
for time and really believed that the
new building would make better ap.
pearance on an L-shaped plot facing on a
side street than on a more regularly
shaped plot comprising the Speer proper
| ty and present school site.
'sThe News" pointed out at the time
that the great majority of people in thai
section were of the opinion that the city
would get better bargain By acquiring
| the Rornaine lands.
Some time ago the Board of Finance
| passed resolution looking to the pur
chase of the Romaine property, but moth
| ing ever came of it.
A suggestion has been made that i
| would be wise proceeding on the par
of the city to acquire both the Romaint
and Speer properties, tear down No. II
School and erect the proposed Higl
School building on the site formed by th,
three plots.
The historic Bergen Squarei is centrally
| located. The belt line cars, which con
| meet by transfers with the Greenville
Montgomery street, Henderson street AM
Turnpike cars, pass in front of the
| school, The Court House and Sunni
avenue lines of the North Hudson Com
pany Railway are only few block
away.
Many people consider this site superior
in7many ways to the Harrison tract OF
| the rocks. 4