The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-10-03
Fountain on Square to Be
 Left There. STATEMENT TO PUBLIC
Committee Now Submit New
 Proposition.
Option Has Been Secured on Site oi First Baptist Church and Local Company VIII Be Organized
 to Build.

A modern office building on the site of the old First Baptist Church on North Court Street!
 This is the new proposition submitted to the citizens of Montgomery by the Committee of business men which has been laboring faithfully to cultivate public sentiment in favor or q sky scraper on Court Square.
 Chairman George w. Jones of the Committee announced last night. that the Committee had abandoned the Court Square project, had secured an option on the old Baptist Church prop erty on North Court Street and would this morning open books of subscrtp- lion for stock in a corporation to buy the site and construct an office build ing there.
 Statement of Committee.
 The statement. of the Committee is hs follows:
 'Montgomery, Ala, October i. 1904. s"To the Citizens of Montgomery:
 q am directed by the Modern omce Building Committee or the Commercial and industrial Association to make the following statement to the pupiici
 Tt was the purpose of this Commit tee to present to the City Council on Monday night, October 3, a liberal bus tness proposition from responsible par ties. looking toward securing lease of the space now occupied by tho foun- tain on Court Square, on such terms as might be agreed upon. with a view or causing to be erected thereon an orna- mental hre-proof ofhce/ building :. With that object, the Committee went before the Board of Directors of the commerciaI and Industrial Association this evening, and reported to the Board what 1t had done. and what It proposed to do, in the premises, anc asked the Board to either approve or disapprove the action and proposed ac- tion of the Modern once Building Com- mittee.
 Tt is gratifying to the Committee to state that the Board of Directors aoopt- ed the following resolution. with ou' one dissenting vote: .,,
 Whereas the Modern Omce BulIo- ,nr Committee of this Association has reported to the Board of Directors its efforts to secure a suitable site TOT 2 modern office building in the city or Montgomery, and it's inability to secure a desirable site from private owners on reasonable terms,
 "'And whereas, the importance oi occurring the construction Of sucn a building is manifest on every hand, our city today being unable to offer attrac- tive inducements to anyone wishing 70 secure offices,
 "'And whereas. the said committed expressed the view that it would be to the very great advantage of the city if the space now occupied by the Court Square fountain and enclosed by an iron fence could be leased for long term of years, or sold to the highest bidder. with the proviso that all bid ders shall obligate themselves in case of securing a lease or deed to said space, to erect and maintain thereon modern. up-to-date, fire-proof. steel construction office building, of the most approved design and finish. not lesf than twelve stories high,- and costing not less than one hundred and fifty thousand dollars. and said committed asks the authority of the Board to sub init such proposition to the City Coun- cil.
 Now, therefore, be 1t resolved by %he Board of Directors of the Commer- cial and Industrial Association. that the action and the proposed action oi the Modern ofice Building Committee as indicated in the preambles to this resolution, and as set forth in the re- port of the committee this day made to the Board, be and the same Is hereby endorsed and approved by the Board
 "In addition to the foregoing endorse ment of the Committees action by the body which created it. the committee is convinced that its action and proposed action, as above indicated, meet with the hearty appreciation of a very large majority of the citizens of Montgom- cry.
 Leaves Court Square.
 However it is proper to state that