The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1904-11-18
BUILDING

The obstacles 10 tho eonHumma=
ton OF the Ho-Called Mullen re
grado of Third avenue. which OPP
/ ponents of the scheme prophealed.
when the ordinance providing for II
was passed by the council two
months ago. would make It's accom-
/ pliahment impossible. have already
begun to show themselves In tanEi=
BILE form. Tho Third avenue prop
orty owners who signed the petit
ton for the proposed regrade With
the agreement that they would pay
all the damages unless they were
excessive. have already begun 90 get
cold feet. according to some per
] sons and will not face the music
Il The damages resulting to the fed
! eral building by reason OF the re
grade, which were fully appreeint
+ cd when the rcgrade plan was
passed by the council. have already
caused a great deal Of uncasiuesa
among the property owners Super
lntondent Grant estimates that the
damages will be at least fib 600
I The government engineers. with
their usual facility In making esti=
/ mates high. place Il NJ sg5 600. The
damages are caused by the change
OF plans necessltnted on account Of
the reKrade
The changed plans do away with
the massive Third avenue entrance
20 the building and substituting two
smaller ones. II was supposed that
the property owners would submit
10 paying these damages without
murmuring when they signed the
petition. Now they want the gov.
eminent TO appropriate sufficient
additional funds 10 pay for the
damages which the change OF grade
noccssitatea Whether or not the
government will make the appro-
priation will not be known until
next March probably. and the con
struetinn Of the building cannot be
resumed until that time II the city
does not agree 90 pay the damages
As the government Is not likely
10 resume operations until the
grade Il absolutely determined
upon. anyhow. the delay will b.
prolonged until the court fixes all
the damages resulting from the
caange Of grade. This cannot be
accomplished until next June or
July. The condemnation proceed
ings have not even begun yet In
court. although surveying parties
are nov obtainig the detailed in
formation necessary FOR the trial
The ordinance provides that the
actual grading operation shall not
begin unless the property owners
agree after the damages have been
ascsrtainsd by the court that they
are willing 70 pay them. n they
should not be willing. as opponents
OF the Mullen rsgrade plan claim
they will not. Il viii mean that a
more moderate grade will have 20
Dc established. and the construction
OF the federal building will BE- In
definitely postponed in the mean
time.
The federal building damages ar.
only a faint indication Of the total
damages that will result from the
Mullen regrade. according 20 some
OF the Third avenue property own.
ers' They claim that they will az
gregate tiS0.eO0 and that Co expect
The petitioners for the present grade
TO dig down In their own pockets
and pay them shows kindergarten
confidence on the part Of the city
officials They claim. for instance.
that the damages To the Third Az.
enue theater. on Third avenue and
Madison street. where a fs-foot cut
is 10 be made. viii be so great on
account Of loss Of patronage as to
amount TO at least SIS 900
They also claim that the deep cut
there VIII practically ruin the Lin
coin and the siander hotels because
OF the steep declivity Il will make
between Third and Fourth avenues.
and that dozens OF other buildings