The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-09-25
OFFICE BUILDING COMMITTEE.
Addresses the People of Montgomery
 Mnnt canary Ala Sent 94 14nA.

Montgomery, Ala. Sept. 24. 1904. To the Citizens of Montgomery:
 The Modern Of1ce Building Commit tee of the Commercial and Industrial Association desires to place before the public the facts regarding the propo- sition to erect a modern office building on Court Square.
 As stated in a previous communica- tion. there is a misapprehension in the minds of many of our good citizens as to what the proposition involves.
 The committee has no disposition to criticise any member of the Council or any other citizen of Montgomery, who Is opposed to utilizing the space on the Square now enclosed by the iron ferce. for the erection of an office building, but the Committee Is unwil- ling to let the public mind be pretu- diced against the proposition upon an erroneous assumption of fact; neither | Is the Committee willing to let the proposition be turned down through ridcule
 It desires that the citizen of Mont gomery and the City Council shall be fully informed as to what The propo- sition involves, and then let the re- sponsibility for favorable or unfavor- able action rest with the City Council. | It desires that the question shall be I terly unwilling that 1t shall be decided otherwise.
 The proposition has been criticised by some citizens through the press, on the streets and in the City Council upon the idea that it was contemplated to encroach upon some portion of the streets of Montgomery. No such prop osition has ever been submitted to the City Council.
 A careful reading of the proposition and an examination of the plans now on exhibition in the office of Charles & Nelson together with an examina- tion of the City Attorneys opinion, will show conclusively that 1t Is not pro- posed to encroach one inch upon any street of Montgomery but that the oc- tagon or circular shaped office building Is to be erected upon the space now oc- cupied by the fountain and enclosed with an iron fence. Photographs of the proposed building will be on eXhi- bition Tuesday morning.
 The proposition has also been criti- lcised upon the idea that the renta named in the bid was too small.
 The Committee desires that the space be sold or leased to the highest bidder but, in the interest of the city of Mont gomery. the Committee indulges th' hope that the City Council will no consider bid for the purchase or leas of said space from any person f1rn or corporation, who will not agree tt do n S much to ornament the city as wa offered in the proposition submitted t' the Council at its last meeting, to wit to erect an octagon or circular shape off1ce building not less than twelve sto ries high, and at a cost of not less thal S150000 said building to be artistic modern, up to date fire proof steel con struction. with dome
 The Committee insists that 1t woul , not be fair to permit a person w1 would only put up an ordinary three O
 four story cheap structure, to bid on
 parity with man who would agre ] to put up twelvestory flreproof. stee construction. ornamental building. , If all bidders are put on an equal ity. then. in the opinion of the Com , mittec. the City Council should sell e lease the space to the individual, fri , or corporation who will give the mos , for it.
 It is the opinion of the Committe
 that a building such as is contempla' ed in the proposition alluded to, WI } be decidedly more ornamental thd l the fountain has ever been or can eve
 be. and If in addition to It's ornamer
 tai feature, the city derives a hand
 some revenue theTetIum. the Cummit 3 tee is unable to see why the revenu . feature should be objectionable. 3 It is not the intention of the Con
 mittee to criticise a real estate own'