The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-06-25


Business property is the commodity
of chief Importance in the real estate
market This is due to its stability as
an income producer. and to its facile
conversion into coin.
The retail business district of a city
Is popularity recognized as its center.
Il seldom comedies with the center of
population or with the geographical
center 81. e.. the point euui-diStant
from d circle embracing the city linn
its), and the core of the district will
usually be found at the intersection OF
two thOrOGghfarGs where the retail
trade Is m "A state of maximum activ-
ity- III Salt Lake City il is now sit
Uated where Main street is intersected
by Second South.
The core Of the district in a growing
community is never fixed point. 1t
is subject to certain fluctuations,
which Tevolve themselves into two
types, viz.
(a) An erratic movement in con-
traTy directions. due to uneven distTi-
button Of urban development.
Cb) 4 steady forward movement.
variable only in the rate of advance.
The first type is confined to the early
yes of city growth. before the char
acteristic districts have fully deveI-
Oped. such as the wholesale and indus
trial districts, and the select residence
and labOring class residence districts.
The first type is replaced by the sec
OUd whenever these Characteristic dis
tTiCts become fully developed or de-
fined.
As a variant of these may be added
a comparatively rare OsCi!latOry move
ment from an initial point outward
with a temporary return to point of
origin. Market street In San Francisco
is a case in point At one time the
stream ran west on Market towards
Post. With the destruction of the
Baldwin hotel at that corner the cur
rent turned back towards the Palace
hotel Now that the Flood building
occupies the old Baldwin site. the cur
rent is again westward.
As a negative type might be added
an entire absence of movement Tt
may be taken as evidence either of de-
cline or of profound civic slumber. In
the latter event such a community may
be surprised at the rapidity with which
the scene Of business activity shifts,
when once it awakens.
Study of Other Cities.
A careful study of a number Of de-
velOped cities where. normal conditions
prevail disclOses the existence of a
probable uniform influence governing
the movement of tie retail business
| district. the result of this influence
! is best described as follows:
The core of the retail business dis
/ trict. under normal conditions is in
constant movement in the direction of
/ the select residence district"
In other words. the select residence
/ district exerts a direct pull upon the
retail business district which tends to
/ draw the latter to itself. This is due
j 10 the daily stream Of shoppers who
come out of the select districts with A
greater money-spending power than 90
/ the shoppers out OF the laboring class
! districts
Therefore, If the above rule be A
| sound one. the greatest rise in future
/ values Of business property will be an
/ ticipated for that portion of the bust
/ ness district lying between its core and
! the select residence district. and this
/ IS actually a prime condition govern
1 ing the purchase of prospective bust
| ness property in many cities.
What the Diagrams Show.
/ Three diagrams are appended. which
/ give graphic illustration of the pull
/ eXerted upon the retail district by the
! select residence district
/ Diagram No 1 shows the actual con-
/ dition of affairs in Uos Angeles. In a
I period OF twenty-five years the select
! residence district Icing southwest OF