The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-05-25
NEW DEPOT SITE
CAUSES MUCH TALK
7. H. Motion ConferS With
President Samuel Spencer
THINKS NEW DEPOT CERTAIN
RIrmIngham's Depot, Il Is Said, viii
Cost a Million Dollars When Com
pleted-Larse Acreage Al
ready Bought.
THINKS NEW DEPOT CERTAIN

T. H. Motion, who recently had con-
ference with Samuel Spencer, president
of the Southern railway, in Atlanta, with
reference to a new passenger station IN
Birmingham, feels assured that the depot
will soon be erected. Property in that
section of Birmingham bounded by Sec
ond avenue, Twenty-sixth street, sixth
avenue and Twenty-seventh street, has
been purchased for railroad purposes
and negotiations for other property IN
that section of the city are open.
1t will be recalled that Mr.. Motion head
ed n committee of business men of Biz
mingham appointed to enter a protest
against the location of the proposed pas
senger station, in the. eastern limits of
the city, upon the grounds that 1T would
be too far away from the business section
of Birmingham.
Mr.. Motion went to Atlanta, conferred
with President Spencer about the matter,
and upon his return to the city gave
cut the following written statement:
1T saw Mr.. Spencer in Atlanta last
week and was told that the Southern rail
way had some time since been notified
by, MIR. NJ H. Smith, president of the
Louisville and Nashville Railroad COM
pany, that the present depot Is not large
enough to handle all the trains now COM
ing into Birmingham and that other ar
rangements would have to be made by
the other roads after the lease contract
which they have with the Louisville and
Nashville expires in 1907. This being the
case property on Twenty sixth street be-
tween Third and Sixth avenues has been
purchased for a passenger depot, and
depot will be built on that property I'M
less better arrangements can be. made"
Many Rumors Heard.
Real estate men seem to be of the opln-
ion that while the new station is almost
sure to be built in the eastern portion
of the city, that the question is stlll
an open one, and another location may
be secured after ALL 1t was pointed out
Yesterday by a local real estate man That
the Southern, and Alabama Great South
ern railroads own property fronting lszHs
feet along South Twentieth street, and
extending eastwardly as far as twenty
fourth street-four blocks in all. This
would make an ideal location for pas
of a site near the business section, con-
tend. On the other hand the Frisco ana
the Seaboard Air Line control a greater
part of the acreage between the railroad
right of way and Avenue A, and -FOUR
teenth 20 Twentieth streets. This prop
erty has a breadth Of nearly four hundred
feet and II extends six blocks. This has
also been suggested many times recently,
as the site for the new passenger sta
ton.
Rut the exchange of property In the
eastern section of the city continues
steadily. good prices ranging. The Cen
trail Land company appears to be the
largest single purchaser
MiIIion-Dollar Statinn.
Wherever the new depot is located, II
promises. according to the present plan,
to he the handsomest one in the south,
excelling even the new passenger station
in Atlanta, recently opened to the puohc'
The Birmingham station will, it Is said,
cost one million dollars, and it will be
built to meet the growing demands OF
Birmingham for fifty years to come.
There will be ten or twelve tracks under
the train shed. and the indications are
that all incoming trains will head in.
Trains from the north and east over the
lines using the new. station will probably
turn in over the present tracks OF the
Southern, near the Sloss city furnaces,
while trains from the south and west
will head In to the new station on the
tracks near the old plant of the Hardfe-
Tynes Machine and Foundry company,
on First avenue and Twenty-seventh
street.
The south end of the car shed will prob
ably be at Second avenue with main en-
frances for the public either on Fifth or
Sixth avenues.
The Louisville and Nashville railroad
will probably continue to use the present
station.
When the site for the new passenger
station is definitely settled. business
houses and hotels will probably go up
rapidly in the vicinity. Inasmuch as it
will require nearly two years time to
build the new depot, if the present plans
are carried out, it is expected that a
definite decision as to the site will be
reached by the railroad officials shortly.
BUILDING PERMITS ISSUED.
Building permits have been issued by
Inspector John p. Lind as follows:
49,,