New-York tribune., 1903-02-26
TO WIDEN FIFTY-NINTH-ST.
Local Boards Favor Taking Slice Off Prop
erty, on the North.

Bv an almost unanimous vote the local boards
OF improvements Of the Hudson, Yorsvile ana
Murray Hill districts yesterday decided TO MAKE
Fiftv-ninth-st.. between Second-ave and the fark
Circle forty feet wider than il is now. by extend
ing the building line on the north side. The acHoh
is said to be necessary in order to give proper
approach to the Blackwers Island Bridge, between
the Park Circle and Second-ave., where the bridge
reaches grade Fifty-ninth-st is now sixty feet
wide. The addition will make il 100 feet wide. The
action taken yesterday by the local boards must
be approved by the Board Of Estimate and Appor-
tionment and then by the Board OF Aldermen and
the Mayor before the widening will be ohiciany
sanctioned
If this change is made II will off forty feet OF
the Ffftv-ninth-st- side OF the store of Blooming
dale Brothers and it will practically destroy the
Hotel Netherland The estimated cost OF the
alteration. by taking the property on the north
side is sl214S5. The estimated cost Of hfty-foot
strip on the south side is A416,0eo
Alderman Joseph Oatman presided at the public
hearing yesterday in the absence OF Borough
President Cantor. The three local boards met
jointly The aldermen present were Messrs. oat-
Parsons. Ware. MCCALL. Chambers, Richter
and Twomey.
E W. Bloomingdale of Bloomingdals Brothers.
spoke in favor of widening the street by taking
property on the south side. He said that IT would
he s. 10000 cheaper TO take land from the south
side than from the north. In Mr.. Bioomingdales
opinion 100 feet would be too wide for the street
anyway. He said that side OF all the wide
business streets or this city always far more
prosperous than the other side because in his opin-
ion. people did not like to cross wide street when
they could just as well avoid It He said that
President Rogers OF the Board of Education had
said 10 him the building Of the Board of Edu-
cation. at Park-ave- and Fifty-ninth-st-. was IN
adequate the needs OF the board. and for this
reason Mr. Bloomingdale did not think 1t would be
much Of loss if il came down to make room for
a bridge approach. He regarded the Hotel
Netherland as more valuable than the Savoy. be-
cause of the greater value of real estate on the
north side % the street MT. Bloomingdale sub
mitted 8 brief to the local boards
Judge Foster. representing Park & Tilford said
that his clients were against widening the street
hy taking ground on the north side
Ex-Controller Ashbc P. Fitch, representing the
f & NJ. Schaefer Brewing Company, argued
against the taking of land on the south side of
the street He said that 1t manifest that the
approach would be straightcr and cheaper by TAX
ing the north side.
The aldermen went into executive session as soon
as Borough President Cantor returned from the
Supreme Court where he had been witness In
a suit After half an hour of discussion a vote
was taken and all but one member were in favor
OF taking the desired land from the north side
some Of the other properties besides these belong
Ian Land i are the s. Thomas House the Hoffman
Arms and Tuxedo Hall. II the widening should
Savoy. the Board of Education. the Arion Society
and other large interests The consensus OF opin-
the only question being the side of the street to
be appropriated Bloomingdale Brothers started
the agitation for widening Fifty-ninth-st. for the
bridge approach The expense of widening the
street will be borne largely by the city although
abuttng property owners will have to stand
part of the cost
Alderman Oatman said after the hearing that
/ he in favor of taking hundred feet from
the north side. thus using full lots, and that If
the city did need approach l60 feet wfde
it should sell strip of the street on the south
f5gT he thought. m Rsuid Ghd' be eIad to get it
A city engineer told Tribune reporter that 1t
mid ~aa11t -rlnr
Fifty-ninth-st the north side He placed the
cost at bout IS 10000.