The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-02-21
Ohio Street Transformed By
New Postoffice Building
Will Undoubtedly Receive Overflow Retail
Trade from Washington anime in Rooms


0HIO street is destined to be one of
the leading business thorough
1870 fares of the city, say leading bus
sfS1tx71i mess men. The truth is, anyone
~AAA-AA4-o can see the transformation that is
gradually taking place in the appearance
of this street. and what used TO be either
residences or physicians Offices is giving
away TO storel Ooms and business blocks
Of this kind. This is particularly true
of that portion of the street ranging from
Alabama to Illinois streets. OF course, as
Ohio street is one of the oldest in the
city, ii has a number Of very old build
ings on it, but these are slowly giving way
to the modern and more improved bust
ness blocks. The first one of these is To-
Gated just west of Alabama street, and is
practically the only business house in that
square. But between Delaware and Penn
sylvania streets there are retail stores along
both sides, with the exception of the one
dwelling house that stands just east of the
Denison Hoted. West of Pennsylvania
street storerooms, though mostly small
ones, are found as far as Capitol avenue.
1t is apparent that Ohio street will be
solely confined to retail stores, and will
have the same class of business on it as
Washington and North Pennsylvania
streets have. Men who are in position
to know contend that this is M prophecy
or hearsay, but that it is sure to come and
cannot be avoided 1t is well known here
among retail merchants that the city has
grown in everything except storerooms.
The district where the stores are now To-
Gated is entirely to limited and is
to impossible for one who is not already
in this district TO rent store ill il. The
fact is that the rooms for retail stores are
so few in this city that many business men
feel some apprehension about ii. They say
that as far as office rooms are concerned
the city is well supplied, but when 1t comes
TO the matter of storerooms there are en-
tirely too few.
At present il is impossible to obtain
lease on Washington, Pennsylvania or IL
linois streets, so the only manner in which
business men can overcome this is TO come
to Ohio street. They look upon this as
their refuge. and as retail business has a
tendency TO come north ii is this thorough
fare that will get the stores.
A man who, until recently, conducted a
store on Washington street, and was COM
PEELED TO move because some one else OBJ
tanned his lease, said that he was under
the impression that he would have no
trouble TO get storeroom any place on
either Washington, Pennsylvania or Illi-
had several offered him. He did not feel
disturbed until ii came very near time for
him to move, when he began to look for
a location, but there was none to be found.
He offered a large bonus to anyone who
would give up his lease to him, but no one
en he 90 sppsd t od sef M Drc on
their leases so he finally found room on
Ohio street, close to Illinois. and says that
at the amount of trade he has done since
he has been in his new place.
RENTS FOR STOREROOMS.
Storerooms Washington street, of
course, cannot be had, and those who own
them are asking from 80 to 90 per cent. more
on the rent than they did a few years
ago. man. in talking of this the other
day, said he had a friend who owned
a building on Washington street who was
lamenting the fact that the lease had not
expired for the storeroom on the ground
floor. for he was only getting $4,000 a year
for it, whereas he could get 5000. No doubt
it is this famine in storerooms that, if it
does not wholly influence the drift of bus
mess toward Ohio street will have as much
10 do with IL as anything else. Meridian
street, as far Monument Place is now
occupied by stones, and as Market street is
broken into by Monument Place and all its
available space on both sides is already oc-
cupied by other branches of business, il
has come to the point that there are few
places left TO build blocks where the lower
floor can be used for storerooms. Ohio
street is about the only place left, and it
Will be only few years until it will be
filled on both sides, and this especially APP
plies TO that portion between Pennsylvania
and Illinois streets.
For one fully to realize the TRANSFORMED
ton that is taking place Ohio street he
| has simply to walk from the north on Me-
| ridan street, and when he gets Just below
New York street to look diagonally east
a hot hnc f.Irz
come to him perfectly. This view can be
better had since wOrkmen have been tear
ing down the old residence which stood at
the corner OF Meridian and Ohio streets
| People, however. who own property along
| Ohio street realize how the locality is
changing, and they also know that there
street, so they have taken all the prices
| off their property. and il is said that be
| tween Pennsylvania and Illinois streets a
| lot cannot be bought at the present time
OF course, Ohio street is not up to the
| standard, and is far from being perfect as
n business thoroughfare. Before IL can be
| so there are a number of old buildings that
VIII have TO be torn away and new modern
| blocks put in their places. One locality
| which will some day no doubt be occupied
| by a large block is where the old pyle
| House now stands-the DID, dilapidat TED
building at the southeast corner of Meridian
and Ohio streets. This is an excellent To-
| as 1T is, directly on the corner. II has a
| long frontage on Meridian street, and also
a frontage on Ohio street. and it is or
/ the opposite corner from the new Federal
| building, it will make most desirable To-
cation for stores. Also in the next square
are some old buildings that have beer
| standing for number of years which will
| have to give way to up-to-date structures
| 1t is said. however, that such improve
| mentS these will be brought about nj
the right time, and that the property own.
ers are only waiting to what is most
/ needed.
The new interurban station, as is well
| known, is located at Market and Illinois
| streets, and If the city carries out its in
| tention of having the interurban cars that