Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-09-19
REAL ESTATE GOSSIP
Apartment Houses Call for
More Business Property.
AFFECT LAND VALUES
SPECULATIVE PRICES FOR CEN
TRIAL LOCATIONS.
This City Known as "the Laundry
mems Paradise''-Attracting
Chicago Capitalists.


city has caused investors to take into con-
sideration new factor in judging of the
value of land. This new factor relates to
the development of business streets to a
degree that would never have been posi-
BILE SO long as improvements were confined
to dwellings for single families.
AS apartment houses have been built in
many parts of the city the number Of peo-
pie living on a square has been increased
from five to eight times that of several
years ago, before that class of improve
ments became popular. This tendency to-
ward a dense population is looked upon as
sure to result in a necessity for numerous
places of business to provide for the in
creased demand for those classes of house
hold necessities that are found in small
stores that are conveniently located. 1t is
pointed out that wherever the building OF
apartment houses has taken place such Sec
tons have been literally provided with all
sorts of small places of business Such de-
velopment in many cities has been so great
that every street line is lined with
stores, together with many interesting
streets. So it is reasoned by investors there
will be a similar development here, with the
result of greatly increased property values.
Although official figures show a decrease
of 60 per cent in the number of building
permits issued by the District authorities
ed with the same period of last year, it Is
conceded that local building operations dur
ing last month broke all records. This
seemingly peculiar situation is explained
through the fact that more than 30 per
cent of the operations during that period
were carried out under permits issued in
the spring and early summer. The effect
OF the appalling decrease in the issuance
of permits WILL unless September and the
fall months make better showing, be
felt later on. The majority of work for
which permits were taken out in the spring
is nearing completion and it is feared
that unless permits increase building ope-
rations in the District of Columbia will be
practically at a Standstill before the win
ter sets in.
TIL contractors and labor leaders are not
wholly a unit when it comes to the matter
of probing for the cause of the decrease in
the issuance of permits. Both agree how
ever, that as to the present time, building
operations have never been more active.
The work that has been in progress during
the summer has thoroughly tested the re-
sources of Washington as an Industrial CEN
ter. The demand for brick sand and vari-
Gus other materials has been twice as great
as the production and to avoid any delay
in the operations an extraordinary amount
of extra material was imported from other
cities and markets.
1t is the belief however, that the opera
tons for the present year have now reached
the highest point and will begin to wane
within the next month or SO. unless, as
pointed out above. there is a decided in
crease in the issuance of building permits.
Should decrease in permits continue and the
approaching winter be severe, 1t is feared
that the distress among certain classes Of
the labor population and the poor of the
city will be appalling.
In discussing the outlook today a local
contractor stated that it was anything but
encouraging The high prices that prevail
ed in the labor and material market during
the spring and summer, he maintained, are
responsible for the decrease in the number
of permits issued. Last fall, he continued,
the builders did not figure to any extent on
an increase in the price of labor and ma
terial After the contracts were let and
the work was begun in the spring the great
demand over the entire country caused a
rise in the price of almost every material
used in the erection of a building. Although
the increase in price did not average more
than 5 per cent 1t played havoc with the
profits of the builders, and In many in
stances they were losers by thousands of
dollars. AS far as is known only one COM
modify fell in price, and that was struc-
tural steel. The decrease was about per
cent.
The cost of labor, it is claimed, also in
creased about s per cent during the last
year. The carpenters received an increase
of from So to $3.50 per diem; plasterers
from "a to $3.50 lin some instances they
are paid IS per day.; hodcarriers from 81
to $3.50; steam filters helpers, $165 to 81.
Convenience of Steel Buildings.
The convenience Of the steel building in
preventing the necessity Of thick party
walls is now being exemplif1ed In the build
ing to be erected adjoining the New Will
lard Hotel on the west. The building Is to
be of about the height of the New Willard
and of steel construction. To the west OF
the excavation, now being provided with a
foundation of concrete, is a three-story
structure. masonry building would make
= To t1a or~tx of
less height. in order to provide a wall OF
greater thickness but as the structure is
proceeding the walls will form no part or
Its strength. so that the adjoining building
is not disturbed by the work of construc-
ton.
The opportunities that exist in this city
to locate manufacturing and other classes
Of business houses in central locations
where ground can be secured at speculative
prices is now being demonstrated by the
building of the COnger laundry at 23d
street and New York avenue northwest
This ground, it is understood, was secured
at price that fnsures a large profit within
a few years, If it should be desired to dis
pose of the property. On the other hand
the location Is so central that the greater
part Of the city can be reached by the de-
livery wagons to be employed with a mini
mum of hauling distance.
Facilities in Doing Business.
Indeed the promoters of this enterprise
were luUuCeu 10 come mere from chicago
partly because of the facility in handling
such business by the possibility of secur-
Ing such centrally located property at a
price that made the proposition very at
tractive. The laundry building has been
designed by Mr.. Charles Gregg Mr.. w. L.
Turner being the builder. The structure
is to be located on a site containing ID, 200
feet of ground and is to be of the most
modern type, its machinery to be similar
to samples that will be one of the features
of interest at the ST. Louis exposition next
year. The building will have frontage of
1872 feet on New York avenue. This city
has become known as 1.-The Laundrymen's
Paradise" because Of the facilities here for
carrying on such business and because
OF the presence of so many apartment
houses in which laundry work is prohibited.
Preparation Of Plans.
Architect VIM. ]. Palmer is preparing
plans for the complete remodeling of house
No. 621 East Capitol street. Mr.. Aman is
the owner. The house DIS remodeled will
be modern in all respects. h new front
OF red pressed brick and Hume3stovn stone