Los Angeles herald., 1905-09-26
DELAY ACTION ON
NEW CITY HALL
ACCEPTANCE OF FREE SITE
OFFER POSTPONED
Plaza Citizens Tender Location to City,
but Opposition Develops In Council
Sufficient to Hinder Imme-
diate Action

The double voting power of Presl-
dent Summerland of the city council,
who is entitled to vote as councilman
and cast the deciding vote in case OF
a tie, was all~that prevented almost
immediate action on the proposition
to build a new city hall on a site to
be donated by property owners in the
neighborhood of the plaza.
A. C. Harper and Joseph Mesmer,
acting for a large number Of tax
payers, appeared before the council
and offered to give the city, free of in
cumbrance, a building lot near the
plaza, bounded by Main, Republic and
New High streets, with frontage of
1872 feet on Main street, 1853 on Re.
public and 1888 on New High street,
running to a narrow court.
The property was offered to the city
on condition that the old municipal
building be sold and the proceeds ap-
piled to the building of new city
hall to be begun not less than one
year after the conveyance of the
property.
Following is the petition as pre-
sented to the council;
Citizens Proposition
ION behalf of a large number of
citizens, residents and property owners,
to the city of Los Angeles, desire to
bring the following matter to your
attention and ask that you act thereon.
said citizens, including the under
signed, who is acting for them in this
behalf, intend to procure and convey
to the city of Los Angeles, upon con-
ditions hereinafter set forth, that GER
tain property in the city of Los An
geles bounded by Main, New High and
Republic streets, fronting 1872 feet on
Main street, 1853 feet on Republic
street and 1888 feet on New High street,
for the purpose of said city erecting
and maintaining thereon city hall
and such other buildings appurtenant
house all its general offices and carry
on it's general and clerical business
therein.
said property to be free from all
membranes and said conveyance TO
be in the nature of a gift to said city,
conditioned upon accepting the same
by ordinance and agreeing to build
thereon a city hall to be used by said
city in place of the present structure
situated on Broadway between Second
and Third streets, and that it will
commence the construction of said city
hall within twelve months and COM
plete the same on or before five years
from the date of the delivery of said
deed.
said conveyance to contain pro-
viso that said city will sell the present
city hall within reasonable time and
use the funds to be obtained therefor
for the erection of city hall upon the
property to be donated
"The undersigned further represents
and declares that a large part of the
funds necessary for the purchase of
said city hall site have been subscribed
and the subscribers thereof are ready
to pay the amounts subscribed there
for, and further that the undersigned
has secured options on said property
so that the same can be delivered, but
before paying for the said property
and said other citizens desire to know
whether the city will accept said offer.
Therefore the undersigned asks that
your honorable body take such i'm
mediate legal steps as may be neces-
sary to enable said city of Los Angeles
to accept the said property if the same
Is rendered to it, or to decline said
offer.
"If said city accepts said offer the
said property can be conveyed to it
within ninety days from this date"
Present Hall Inadequate
Mr.. Mesmer asked that action be
taken on the offer as soon as possible
as there were six options on the prop
erty, which would soon expire, and the
promoters did not care to take out
others if there was no hope of the
offer being accepted.
"There is every need for a new
municipal building" said Mr.. Mesmer.
"The conveniences in this building are
entirely inadequate to the needs of
this growing city and it has become
so crowded that it has been necessary
to rent rooms in other buildings for
the accommodation of the city officers.
"The rentals for these rooms, with
others that are contemplated, will cost
the city nearly $1,000 a month and this