New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-03-11
COrETHOrSE SITES.

The postponement Of the hearing by the Board
Of Estimate and App0rionmcnt on the proposed
sites for the new County Courthouse was pre-
sumably ordered for good reasons. but there is
no objection TO continuing meanwhile the uu-
official discussion Indeed. il is desirable that
the public should Doe prepared by previous con
sideration Of the subject to put a proper value
on the arguments which win be formally made
at the appointed time.
We have repeatedly asserted the natural suita-
blity Of the Chambers-st site for courthouse,
due 10 the environment which the building
would then have It's long southern exposure
would be a marked advantage il would over
look the City Hall Park, and, If wisely planned,
with view 10 its adjoining the Hall Of Records
the architectural value Of each structure would
be enhanced by the proximity Of the other. No
other available site is so accessible by means Of
the present and prospective lines Of transporta-
ton, or practically so near 10 the great majority
Of lawyers offices The light would be perfect
and there would be. FOR the same reason, no diff
iculty about the ventilation. Some stress is
laid in the adverse report on the exposure Of
that ncighborho0d 10 street noises, but we can
not regard that as a strong point. No building
in the heart OF a great city can be expected 10
preserve a "stiIl air Of delightful studies" and
busy men IN New-Y0rk whose work might be
faciltat ] by socluSion are not as a matter OF
fact much disturbed by the roar Of the streets
Moreover, except near the Broadway end, a
courthouse facing on Clambers-st would be IN
usually well placed I'm respect 20 freedom from
noise. a serious effort is being made Just now
10 overcome tic laws delays Any choice Of a
courthouse site would be unfortunate which
needlessly involved a great loss II time 10
judges, lawyers, juries. witnesses and Htigants
That we think, is a valid argument against
The Mulberry Bend site as compared with the
Chambers-st property.
We have often urged these considerations,
end in addition have particularly called atten-
ton TO the importance Of acquiring for munici
pal purposes, before costly improvements have
greatly enhanced its value, a piece Of property
which the city ought 10 own and VIII. sooner or
later. I'm all probability, be virtually compelled
TO take 4 correspondent has recently asked
us 10 take note Of one Of the counter arguments
advanced in the majority report OF the commits
sion. he writes:
The city cannot afford to go into a real estate
speculation 81 connection with site for a court
house. The advocates Of a site near Mulberry
Bend Park give a one OF their chief reasons for
recommending that location that putting a
courthouse IN an inferior and undesirable neigh
bOrhOOd win tend TO raise the character Of the
neighbOrhOod. and 50 indirectly increase the as
sessed values giving the city some return for
its expenditures in that indirect way II that
argument were tenable. IL would seem to follow
that the lower and more dUapidated the neigh
borhood the more desirable would IL be for a
courthouse, because IL would appear that the
worse the neighboorhOod, the more the improve
ment that would come from the location OF the
courthouse. II has generally been considered that
IN All ulunlcipa4 nnprOk efnents. well IN pri-
waite enterprises OF magnitude and Importance
such az exchanges. the best site was the proper
site and the commission could hardly lie ex-
pected 70 be Influenced BY the argument thai a
great many private owners OF property in the
neiEhborh0od of Mulberry Bend Park would