New-York tribune., 1903-02-25
NEW POSTOFFICE SITES.
COMIMISSION'.S REPORT
Buildings at Pennsylvania and Cen
trat Terminals Recommended.
[BY TELEGRAPH To TIE TRIBUNE.


Of the New-York postofhce site commission was
transmitted to Congress to-day by Secretary
Shaw, chairman of the commission, after it had
been considered by the Cabinet The chief feat
ure Of the report, which has been set forth in
The Tribune is the recommendation that an ap-
preparation of S2,000.000 be made for the pur-
chase Of a site from the Pennsylvania Railroad
Company in Eighth-ave.. between Thirty-nrst
and Thirty-third SITS. It is not necessary that
this appropriation should be made at the present
session of Congress. as the excavation is to be
done by the railroad. and the site will not be
ready for building purposes until June l. 1904
The further recommendation IL made that The
commission be authorized to acquire site ada
cent to the proposed new terminal Of the New
York Central road. and that the two railroad
postoffice buildings and the general postoflce
building may be connected by pneumatic Iupe
service. This arrangement, the report suggests
would give ample postal facilities for the CITY
for some years to come. The cost Of the build
ing on the Pennsylvania terminal site is esu-
mated at $3,000.OOO.
Senator Platt, of New-York, to-day ofereo aH
amendment to the Sundry Civil bill, appropriat-
ing 81 100000 toward the erection OF a new
postoff1ce building. his purpose being to carry
out the commissions recommendations
TEXT OF THE REPORT
The commission created by Congress ana
authorized and directed TO acquire by purchase'
condemnation or otherwise, a suIIdD4e SlLe ~
the city of New-York, Borough or MahhdlI
State Of New-York, upon Wnlch 10 5 e!eC5 e+ates ~
proof building for the use or the CIIteu dnI1a
postoffice in said city of New-York. begs leave
to report TO Congress as follows: ...
Very few sites have been offered at d oellIiltc
price: many have been suggested TO Whlch i title
could be secured only through conQelllildl liolL ION
nrocasdings The commission visited the city
TrcD .
proposed. It is deemed proper 10 state ING GO
sons governing the commission IN reaching
determination .-
The location of the city of New-York upon
the island OF Manhattan creates a city !Qiis
and narrow. cOngesting the business i "l;1iIil
narrow limitations and presenting d Vet .s-o -
oblen in expediting and properly Ii@LIa Ii@Ll9aC.
ing the postal business Of the city IN uete.
mining a location for the new poStoAlee o1-L1 t
ing the expedition of the mails Is OF greater
Importance than the location OF the pUlLtllLs
IN a sipb4Iv or conspicuous place. On an aver
age more than half-hour is lost II transpo
the mails TO or from the railroad statlons 70
the postoffice To save this half-hour or more
would be of incalcula Bile beneht TO the ousLIt09
interests Of the city, ana the IocACloil - -
building or buildings over the tracks OF eacn %
the two great railway systernsIIie -o7IId
vania and the New-York Centrai-Nou CI
abolish the necessity of Transporting tLle
mails in wagons to the postoflce ana from tl!e
postofice to the railroad station having IIll5
idea in mind negotiations have been entered
into with the respective HanageIIlents ol IL IL
"a i1-oa5 cornDanies mentioned and we are aple
to report material progress. Inc FeL,SS &c
Railroad Company has offered to sell 70 Cl9
government a site extending on f41eHIIi- -
from Thirty-first to Thirty-thIrd ST. Win d
frontage OF 460 feet on Eighth-aVe, ana VI Win q
deprh of $40 feet on Thirty-hrst ana !HlIIS
third SITS, and the west Ane OF "!ticn ~, q
street could be made, thus complying with Lfle
rrovision of the law that the site selected SIeL
have a street on each Of It's four siots- ~
actual floor space of a building on tnls slLe
Iii he * 0n0 square feet 70 each story Inc
railroad company has acquired title TO nearly
all of the land in question, and Wnen lllIe -
acquired 10 the small remaining por IioL - ~
aggregate cost, II is stated WI = oo,o
81 100000 The price named py the coi!l
pany TO the government is SZtpoOoo suoJecL g -
the use of the company Tor luIlIlel OF g. -
o,,rnoses underneath, which track location IS ths
IA ctor taken into consideration py the coLH-
mission in selecting this site owing 10 tLiG
recent apDreciation of property values 1nc1denl
TO the location of the Pennsylvania halIroao
terr~tnaIs equally large and eligible sites ada
cent 10 the one offered would now cost probably
S6OO0OOO
- mis- plan should be adopted and the post
office building located on this site the mail cars
carried by this company (which. II IS estlnaleo,
convey TO and from the city OF New u ork over
20 per cent of the mail received and dlspatcneo)
will pass Immediately under the poston1ce,
thereby permitting the mails 10 be unlOaded dl-
rec1ly from the mail cars 10 the elevators run
ming 70 the floors Of the postoffice building. and
doing away with the necessity for wagon ser
vice
AT THE CENTRAL TERMINAL
The commission believes that a postoff1ce
building should be erected by the government
on a site TO be secured over the tracks or the
New-York Central. at adjacent to the new
station to be erected by that company, and an
informal proposition looking 10 such an I'M
proven ent has been received
We recommend that Congress extend the pow
ers Of this commission as 10 enable them TO
purchase the site offered by the Pennsylvania
Railroad also TO obtain the right to erect post
Office building over the tracks Of the Newly ork
Central system, at adjacent TO their new sta
ton, thereby securing the expeditions handing
of the mails tributary TO that locality, and mails
received or forwarded over the lines or tllS4I
COMPANY It is estimated at this time that the
mails transported over the lines entering Lhe
New-York Central Companys station amount 10
30 per cent of the aggregate tOr the CITY OF New
York the Pennsylvania company, as above
stated. carrying over 20 per cent which proper
ton, II is expected viii be increased Wnsn thelr
new terminals are completed.
We recommend. therefore, the appropriation
Of 81 100000 for the purchase Of a site for the
postofice building in the city or New ork 3l on
the west side of Eighth-ave-, and running from
Thirty-first 10 Thirty-third-st-, and that IN ad-
dition this commission be authorized 10 pur-
chase or otherwise acquire site IN connectlon
with the new terminal Of the New-York Central
Owing TO the widened streets on all sides and
the large court in the centre, the light viii be
unusually good, and its very large ground area
will render II unnecessary TO extend the build
ing very high. -.
he erected for about S3,OO00O0. In view Of
the fact however that the proposition TO sell
includes the excavations by the grantor, II wall
he unnecessary and perhaps ina advisable to make
the APPROXIMATION for the building at TINS ses-
sion If the plan proposed by your commission
shall he carried out, which includes connect
inc +he three principal postoff1ces in the city
nv pneumatic tubes. as Station Il IS now con-
nected with the main Office, the problem OF
handling the mail in this most important city
will have been solved for many years TO come
The commission attaches hereto copies OF the
proposition TO sell, and letter from the presl-
dent of the PENNSYLVANIA Railroad explanatory
OF ''e S''i'' [, NJ, SHAW