The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-06-23
CITY HAS new ARCHITECTS.
BERNSTEIN T. BERNSTEIN GET
ALL THE DEPARTMENT JOBS.
Arc Not In the Institute and Work at Cut
Rates-Seliing Tenement Plans on the
East Side-City Has Entrusted More
Than $500 900 OF Work Ia Them.

RateS-SclilnS IeneH1cHt Tihus vi tHo
East side-City Has Entrusted More
Than $500 900 OF Work to Them.
A new firm Of architects has come up
| in New York in the last year or 30 in way
| that has caused surprise to many older
firms 1t is the firm Of Bernstein X Bern
stein, composed of Mitchell and Michael,
brothers Since Jan. 1, 1904, whenever the
city has needed an architect Bernstein d
Bernstein have got the job, no matter what
commissioner has had the giving OF 1t. and
with only one exception, apparently That
was the Manhattan Bridge, which Com
missioner Best gave to another firm longer
In business.
Just at present Bernstein Il Bernstein
are rushed with work. Among architects
they are accepted as the SUCCESSORS OF
Horgan Slattery. known under former
administration as the city architects. The
Charter doesn't provide for city architect.
II a firm is fortunate enough to be selected
as such unofficially. 1t gets big boost.
In Bernstein d Bernstein's case, IL seems
to have meant In little more than year jobs
whose total cost has amounted to more IMAM
$500, 900. On this the commissions Will
be more than SIS, 900, which isn't bad Tor
new firm only few years In business
to get out Of one client.
New York has to have a good deal OF re-
pair work In the course OF year which
needs an architects supervision. Morgan
h Slattery used at one time to take charge
Of all repairs and charge commissions on
the total cost Of such. When the Low adj
ministration came in this method disap-
peared, and the work was divided among
many architects Department heads who
had work to assign picked out different
architects for it, and no two seemed to hit
on the same firm. Bernstein Bernstein's
work seems to have found the same favor
with all in the last year. although prior to
Jan. I, 1904, neither as individuals, nor as
a firm had the Bernsteins ever done any
work for the city, nor were they known
among the general run OF architects.
Possibly one reason for their selection Is
the cheap rate at which they have been
doing city work. Under the rules OF the
American Institute of Architects 10 per
cent. of the total coat is charged for repairs
and alterations, but in the case OF the city
this rate is reduced to ~ per cent. Bern
stein 4 Bernstein, who don't belong to the
Institute, charge only per cent.
Before the firm became the city archi-
tects most Of it's work consisted in draw
inc plans for tenements and fathouses.
Such plans are often sold from stock for
a fixed price A lot OF the firms work was
over on the East Side. Mitchell Bern
stein lives at 2a5 East Broadway, which
is in the district of Borough President
Ahearn. 1t was Mr.. Ahean who was the
first to select the Bernsteins to do work
for the city. That was when he got an
appropriation Of $4,000 to make repairs
to the City Hall Part OF these consisted
of removing by sand blast the venerable
coat which time had left on the walls in
order to freshen up the building. The
sand blast cost $4,3S5
Competition among architects for re-
pair jobs is not provided for When 1T
fell to Mr.. Ahean to select firm he selected
ss7 .s43, on which their commission amounted
to 81 1902.
This was in March. month later Com
missioner Thomas Hynes, In charge of
New Yorks exhibition at tho st. Louis
Fair, had little job he wanted done out
there 1t was to build an addition to cost
5000. He gave it to Bernstein 4 Perm
stein One Of the Rernsteins went out to
the fair and supervised some OF the work,
so that the commission and expenses footed
up to &45.
Two months later Mr.. Ahearn had an
other Job for an architect. 1t was to make
over an old par chia school for municipal
courthouse for tho Thirteenth district:
The job was estimated to cost 50, O00, and
Bernstein Bernstein got i. 1t meant a
Aldermen and the Board Of Estimate au-
thorized Mr.. Ahearn to repair the County
Court House, install new ventilating
and heating system and new electric
light system. paint It and improve the stone
work OF the Tweed builder The apprcpria-
ton was 100000. Mr. Ahearn wrote a
letter to Bernstein Bernstein appointing
them as the architects. They submitted
plans making the cost considerably more
than the appropriations Comptroller Gr 70
they would have 10 try again. They, finally
got it down to SOL 1894. On this they charged
their cut rate commission Of per cent,
amounting to $4,5ss.2o The next repair
ing the city had to do was on the City Court
building and Bernstein & Bernstein were
appointed architects for this job. which
cost 500 900 and on which their commission
4 month later. in October, Commissioner
Oakley decided to begin building the first
Of the high pressure fire service stations
for the new auxiliary system. The first
stations decided on were at the corner of
Oliver and South streets and in Gansevoort
street near West street. These had to he
built under contract with the architects
the cost Of each station being $4,000. Mr..
Oakley hadn't had occasion to employ any
architects before. but he picked out Bern
stein and Bernstein at once. and they got
the Job of building not only those two sta
tions. but two more in Brooklyn Their
commissions on the four amount to $12,-
23s, 10. The last of these contracts was
given to them by Commissioner Oakley
last May.
In January Of this year the Park Depart
ment got $4,000 for comfort station
Commissioner Pallas in turn seems to have
been struck by the work Of Bernstein Il
Bernstein, for he picked them out to
undertake the job, which meant COM
mission of 1900. Some repairs had to he
made to the electrical plant in tho Criminal
Courts Building, amounting to $4,000, and
President Ahearn gave the joh again to
Bernstein 4 Bernstein. just at present the
firm ia said to he drawing plans for Il Q
Fire Department.
Practically all OF the new buildings,
such as the new Police Headquarters
were designed ny architects selected by
the old administration. il hasn't fallen
to any Of the present city heads to select
architects for any important work of that
character.
Professional ethics requires architects
to refrain from soliciting business a
contractor does by submitting estimates
and trying to underhid competitors. Under
an opinion Of the Corporation Counsel, the
head OF n department has the right to
select whomsoever he chooses. an architect
being considered in the light of an expert
1.-The architects said a memher of one