The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1904-11-21

sHAHAFH 50 - - 49, - W..
tunity TO erect a new city hall Ia
an une1eelled location without any
immediate expense James A.
Moore. who few days aEo secured
the 6Q-yc0r lease OF the old uni
ycrsity grounds. will make 90 the
council perhaps az It's meeting To-
night. a proposition 20 this effect
He proposes 20 give the municipal
ity chance To lease a portion OF
the grounds or he may even agree
20 erect a city hal on the ground
free OF expense 60 the city SO that
the latter may rent a.
Such q proposition. when made.
Wlll have an important bearing ON
the bond election that Is 10 take
place December s. n Il Is accept
able 20 the citizens and The conn
Gil the voting down OF the bond s.
sue for the purpose Of additional
site and, perhaps. Of the s5oo.oQe
for a new public building would
naturally follow
When seen this morning BY re-
porter Of The Star and asked 20
make a statement relative 20 the
matter. Mr. Moore said he had
nothing 20 say for publication a.
yet. although he tacitiy admitted
that he had given considerable
thought 20 the project. AlthOuEh
the matter has been kept very quiet.
Il IL known that Mr. Moore had the
idea IN mind when he secured the
lease Of tire grounds from stirrat &
Goetz lie had always been an adj
- = araasasH 81 hnHl
and other public building In that
locality and when he secured the
ground the idea OF leasing a por-
tion Of It 20 the city naturally came
home strong 20 him
Moreover. since that time citi.
Eens who are interested In the So
called group plan for Seattis'a pub.
lie buildings have gone tn him %
see IL be was willing 70 entertain
any proposition % arranging with
the city and county 20 carry out
such a plan. ONiug 10 the immense
value Of the ground for commercial
purposes u Is the belief 81 nearly
every person who has carefully con
siderea the matter Of building a
new city hall that the wlseat thing
the municipality can do At the pres
ent time Is TO secure possession al
a whole or a part o. the university
grounds. Mayer Ballingsr. r. T.
Blaine and c. W Saunders. % the
park board Councilman Cole. for
mer Councilman J. a. james and
George r. CotteriH are al warm
advocates OF the scheme
Mr. Moore. who has already pro
NOTED more large realty and build
ing deals than any other man IN
the city. has since been quietly AZ
tempting TO figure out a plan
whereby he could prufitahiy dispose
OF the ground In some manner that
would be acceptable TO the city
The erection Of public buildings on
the ground would not only In Itself
be profitable TO the real estate
man. but u would also greatly add
10 the value Of the commercial
buildings already on the ground
IL be can obtain a reasonable %.
fer from the city. Moore Is said &c
be not only willing 20 sub-ieasc q
portion OF the ground 10 the city foi
80 years but eseu 70 erect a cts
hall on II az his own expense. Il
preferable renting Il 10 tho city
Either plan. II adopted would make
the Immediate outlay for the Eecur.
ing OF a new city hall much less
than II II were secured By a bond
issue Tho whole grounds could BE-
leased by the city for not more than
s25 900. and Afr. Moore might be
well satisfied with much leaa thar
that
Most people would probably b.
opposed 20 renting a city ball from
Mr.. Moore. although such a propo.
Bition would possess the ADVANTAGE
OF allowing the city % be free al
the end % its leaaehoid % erect q
building of IT, own By that time
the city might desire 20 change the
location Of the city halh broadway
possibly being. for instance. the
proper location by that time Much
Of the opposition. which al the
present time threatens 70 be fatal
TO the city hall bond issue. arises
from taxpayers who believe that
taxes In the city are high enough
already M0ore'8 proposition
would make a large public building
At present NNsHeHA taaNN.
But there are more important
reasons for securing the university
grounds for q city hall site " pos.
sible. II - already nearly as an
acceptable site as the present loca-
ton and. az the city grows. Il la
bound TO become more and more 60
II offers the only opportunity Tor
grouping the public buildings Of The
city. which 81 becoming more and
more recognized by municipal eX-
perts as the only desirable scheme
Ia such matters. The group plan
makes the transaction Of public
business more easy and exDedi-
tious.
The federal building is already
on Third avenue and Union street
within a stones throw Of the uni
versity grounds. II viii. IN a few
years. have % be enlarged. and the
purchase Of ground occupied by the
Plymouth church Is already being
ngltated for that purpose The Car
negle library Is one block from the
grounds AZ Fourth avenue and
Spring street Three newspaper Of
fces are in the immediate vicinity
OF the grounds The latter are three
blocks from the corner Of Second
avenue and Pike street. already the
center Of the retail district.
II Is generally conceded that a
city hall should be IN a retail
rather than Ia the wholesale DIS
trict o. the city. The character Of
me business II trangacts demands
" II IL not the heavy business
men bat the persons who pay taxes
HSHE SHALL