The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-04-05
The REAL ESTATE MARKET.
PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO rms
TENEMENT HOUSE Law

! WIN Permit the Erection OF semi.F1re-
proof Apartments u Seven stories
Effect on the Building Industry
The Tendency d Current Trading.
A compromise Of great Importance TO
the building industry was rack d last
week by the defenders and the critics Of the
Tenement House law. The law, a. 1t now
stands makes no -is.lnction between
apartments and tenements in Its provisions
relating to freproofing. 1t requires that
both shall be wholly freproof II exceeding six
storit In height above the curb level. This
restriction imposes no hardship a. regards
tenements. They are never supplied with
passenger elevators and, without elevator
service, the economic limit Of height at
tainable doee not exceed six stories.
In modern apartments such service Is i'm
dfspensable. Elevator apartments OF six
stories. however. cannot be made TO pay
OK sept on inexpensive lots. which are rarely
to be had In neighborhoods suitable for
any but cheap grade Of housing. II fire.
proof construction il used. 1t is necessary TO
60 up ten or twelve stories in order 70 secure
q proper return from the capital invested.
Because Of their expensive construction
hreproof apartments are possible only In
exclusive localities, where high rents are
obtainable. Since the present Tenement
House law went into effect, two years ago.
the production Of apartments renting at
popular prices has been insisnihcent. The
law has consequently acted TO the injury
Of both tenants and owners Of medium
grade lots In the residence districts.
A bill was introduced at Albany at this
session Of the Legislature Assembly bill
i,oj9) to mike seven. instead Of six. stories
the maximum height for non-hreproof
apartments. The r:sasure met with oppo-
sition from the city administration. Last
week. however, Tenement House Com
missioner Robert W. de Forest, Building
Supi. Perez N: Stewart Of Manhattan aid
William W; Calder Of Brooklyn held q con-
the supporters Of the Albany ILL.,. aLd an
agreement was reached that no obJecticn
will be raised TO an amendmt mt TO the
existing law permitting a eswn-story
are made freproof and tbs stairoSsss and
elevator and dumbwaiter shafts are en-
closed In freproof walls. These provisions
now apply to six-story buildings, pit
that only one nreproof floor ID required.
the additional fioon will entail IN extra
expenditure Of not more than $3.50 to u 900
for each floor. From the standpoint Of cost
the amendment. II passed. will practically
restore the condi ions with resp ct to tho
ment houses which existed b. fore the
present Tenement House law was enacted.
Meantime the seven-story building con-
templafed by the amendmt mt will be ne
type. 1t will not only contain b. er safe
height formerly erected, but will be Q moro
sanitary structure in the matter OF hight
and Ventilation.
What the permission TO erect the new
type OF seven-story elevator apartmsnts
will mean to the bulding industry may be
inferred from the fact that prior 70 the
passage OF the present Tenemsnt-H House
law apart ments Of that height were con.
structed at the rate Of more than 100 year
As the he. site Of , each S ssnsd D IN ;.s from ~
this branch AZ the building industry will
have an important bearing on the market
for vacant land. During the last two years
the growth Of population ha~ overtAksn
in many localities rents have been raised.
and the conditions which now exist amply
justify the resumption OF constructive
work on a large scale in the middle grade
apartment house districts.
The compromise bill which n has been
agreed TO introduce at Albany reads
IAN act to amend chapter SA Of thu Laws
OF 1901, entitled An act In relation TO tene.
ment houses in cities OF the first class.
Is amended by CHAPTER $50 OF the Laws Of
The people OF the State OF New York.
represented In Senate and Assembly, do
enact as follows:
'Sec. i.-Section II Of chspter ssl Of
the Laws Of 1901. entitled An act 10 relation
TO tenement houses in cities Of the 6rst
class as amer ded by chapter $50 OF the
Laws Of 1909, Ia hereby amended TO read az
follows:
SEC 11.-Fireproof tenements. when re-
auired; tenement en- .I hou'e hereafter
stories. In height above the curb level shall
be a fireproof tenement house, nor shall any
tenement house be altered 30 a. to exceed
such height without being made 6reproof
tenement house.
Except that a tenement house may be
erected to a height not exceeding seven
stories provided that each and every floor
Of such house Is constructed fireproOf with
iron or steel beams and tirepfoof flooring.
aid provided also that such house 10 fur
nished with a properly constructed power
passenger elevator sufficiently large to
carry ak persons at O..e time. which shall
be operated so long as such tenement house
Ia occupied A cellar the ceiling OF which
does Lot extend more than two ieet above
the curb level Ia not story within the
meaning OF this section.
sec. .. This act shall take effect imme-
diately."
The hfting OF the embargo on apartment
house construction will remove what ap-
pears TO be the only obstacis likely to stand
In the way Of an unprecedented movement
In real estate this spring The agitation
Of the mortgage-tax question has been
settled 90 far as the present session OF the
Legislature Is concerned. and. If precedent
counts for anything. the money market
may be expected TO develop conditions
favorable to realty trading In the course
Of the current month.
The volume Of transfers 20 far recorded
this year In one-seventh greater than that
for the corresponding period a year ago
and exceeds that for the first quarter OF
100 by one-third. Meantime the broker
age transactions reported day by day oon-
tain an increasing proportion Of deals pre-
figuring building operations. particularly
In the tenement sections. The construction
movement, which last year was confined
largely to high priced land. is extending
over wider and more varied territory.
In this respect IL reflects the general ten
denoy Of ourrent activity In real property.
Private HaIes-
Collins 4 Collins have sold for Leslie r.
Palmer No. 49, Fast nty-third street,
= thr>e -atorv hroxnstone dwelling. fkYapx