The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1904-11-28
Leading Architect FayOrS
Grouping City Buildings

as proposed by J. A. Moore. but
should secure the whole OF the tract
at no matter what cost as means
Of building mp a civic center. Such
ii the opinion OF Charles II Bebb.
the we'll known architect, who has
possibly given more time and study
to the public building problem 10
seattle than any other man In the
city
He figures that any price which
the city might be Obliged 20 pay
for tho magnificent tract ht the
present time would be inalgnificRnt
when the immense benefits TO be
derived from the ownership Of the
land by the municipality are taken
into consideration This he be
lieves 20 be true not only from an
aesth etie standpoint. but also from
one Of dollars and esuth
IL Seattle waits until the univer-
sity grounds are built up with per
mancnt structures she will be los
lng her golden opportunity 10 carry
out the group plan Of public build
inEa. which other cities are now
adopting at immense cost Hr. Bebh
thinks u would be a hhaf ie 10 al
| low the opportunity vanish
through default lie f. favor Of
the clty'a spending million
dollars II need be. n cure pos
session Of the GROUND 4e deplores
the fact that the clfy > allowed
/ private individual 2 ecure a lease
OF the land from II ltatc when the
city could have pa aased the whole
tract outright a few years ago for
I $3.50 .000.
lie is sorry that the federal build
E Ing has been placed where Il f. and
that a uew building OF a permanent
nature has been erected on the
grounds NJ the corner OF Fourth
avenue aud Union street So con
WINGED. however. Is he that the
group plan should be carried out AZ
I any cost that he Is In favor. In case
I tho city Herurcs possession % the
grounds. Of expendIuE n sufficient
sum 10 pay for the removal Of the
ueS fouf-atory brick building men
/ toned
= have always advocated the
/ plan 90 secure the university
grounds Of erpendlng a sufficient
sum 90 pay for the removal OF the
new four-story brick building men
/ TONED
Il have always advocated the
/ plan 90 secure the university
grounds said Mr. Bebb this morn
Ing This city made probably It's
worst mistake when IL failed to pur-
I chase the tract for $3.50. 900. when
I Il bad the chance. SIN IL is not
too late yet I am not a lawyer.
I but u appears 20 me that this city
ought % be able TO make some ar
rangement with the state uniycr-
| slty regents by which IL could Sc
cure possession OF the grounds. II
Nigh be able 10 purchase the prop
efiy outright Il might be able 90
make some deal With Mr Moore: Il
/ might make some arrangement 90
I pay stipulated sum each year In
I return for the use Of the property
I for the maintenance OF the state
university Some such plan should
I be devised Immediately The longer
[ the city waits the more difficult
and costly will IL become TO accom-
pilsh Il.
The experience OF other cities
should be a lesson 90 US At great
expense they are nov bringing their
public buildings together. They
have found that II is more eeonom-
lcai. more beautiful TO do 50. Why
Seattle. with these things in view.
should allow the opportunity OF Sc
curing the university grounds. the
only thoroughly appropriate loca-
ton In the city for such a purpose
to pass by. Is more than | can UNI
detsthnd
Consider what a civic center
would do toward making Seattle an
attractive city. Bear in mind the
advertisement which such a thing
would be to the community. Re
member how Il would draw tourists
TO this point Suppose 1000 persons
/ in the course of year on their
way 10 Alaska. 90 the Orient. or TO
| California should be lmpelled TO re-
main two days In this city because
/ Of the attractiveness Of her public
building They would spend at
least $40 n day in the city while
here A thousand persons. then
would benefit local hotel men and
merchants 10 the extent Of 5000
III 10000 persons were attracted
here on that account in a year the
city would be enriched by 500. 000
annually. II IS estimated that
| American tourists spend $50 600 600
every year In Europe They go
there almost exclusively 90 see the
public buildings and works of art.
From n purely commercial stand
point beautiful buildings in a city
pay.
The new congressional library
has attracted thousands of visitors
TO Washington. d. G. They don't
80 there as a rule 20 see the books.
/ either. They simply want TO see
the beauties of the building Aud
set the ornamental features OF that
magnificent edifice cost only 6 per
cent above what would have been
the cost of the building stripped OF
artistic design,
"Of the cities that are carrying
out the group plan Cleveland is the
most conspicuous. 81. Louis. Chi
eaFo. Baltimore, New York and
Springfield are doing the same.
Now | do not say that Seattle can
Immediately accomplish the great
results that have been brought
about IN these cities. but she has
the opportunity right now to make
the start That is the main thing.
AS soon as the city had secured
possession of the ten acres | would
be In favor OF the eity's employing
the best landscape architect In the
country TO lay out the grounds as
they should be. The plan once
adopted could be carried out lit
tie az a time. Each building as
erected could be given It's proper
and appropriate place. IL is unfor-
tunate that the federal building was
not given the most prominent loca-
ton on the grounds. but that Is
something that cannot now be
helped.
Then the city could so ahead
and erect its hall. its auditorium
and lie art institute as Il got ready.
The court house could be erected