The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-08-12

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ssThe business-like method of getting
at the situation,' says Mr.. EgglestOn,
s'is to appoint a commission of five
real estate men who are well posted on
downtown values and have them give
an estimate as to the present market
value Of these two blocks and. then
have two or three reliable contractors
estimate the value of the buildings.
We can then determine whether it is
out of the question for the government
to acquire the blocks under condemna-
tion. These same five men should
then open negotiations for the purchase
Of all the pieces that could be bought
at reasonable figure and I think they
would agree to serve without compensa-
N. H. Emmans wants the block be-
1 tween Washington and Second street,
First and Second avenue S. He says
that this block contains no buildings of
any great value and only three of note.
It is near both the Union and Mil
waukee stations and can be reached by
trackage. The location there will re,
do what the. courthouse has done far
Their up. s. s. Staring would put the
postoffce between 4Nicollet and Third
avenue s., and J. B. Suth erland has a
similar view Of the situation. Nickels
& Smith would keep the postoffce near
CQC S1Ce OIL Iu6 NlCOllcU lOuSc, DIS IL ~ d
mistake to consider the retail center
the business center. Chadbourn &
Bradnen set the north and south limits
at First avenue S. and First avenue n,
and between Second street and Third
street. . r.
I On Nicouet or Hennepin. '-.-
E. A. Merrill sticks to the Nicollet
or Hennepin frontage, between First
| a+r onI oSbi p1rfo This would
enable the. postoffce to be reached
from all sides Of the city and would
be a beginning Of the civic center
movement. The Commercial club, find
ing that the Pence block can be bought
within the appropriation, makes that
desirable location. D. Wheeler Jones
chooses the northeast corner Of Wash
ington and Hennepin. Gross & Manthey
suggest the Bijou theater block also.
Theodore Wetmore believes that the
arguments are for the First and Second
avenue, Washington and Second street,
block to save carting from the stations.
The Pence block he considers poorly
situated, as distant from the fast mail
over the Milwaukee,. Good location and
not cheapness is the point on which
the purchase should hinge. Horace
Lowry favors the limits between Wash
ington and Second, Hennepin and Sec
OuU AVENUE duu a. ". Dd1hcS WOu1u
put the building somewhere between
Nicollet and Third avenue S, Second
and Third streets. ,E5
H. P. Smart says that convenience
for the public should suggest a loca-
ton uptown, for instance, between
Nicollet, First avenue S, Eighth and
Ninth streets. J. A. Walters says it
would be a mistake to put the postof-
flee inside of Sixth street, as within
twenty-five years Sixth and Seventh
streets will be the center of business
the site should be in advance of the
trend of business growth.
The Stewart Homestead.
Wallace H. Davis believes that bust
ness interests would prefer to have the
postoffce between the leading whole
sale and retail districts. An admirable
site is the Levi M. Stewart homestead
as near to large and growing business
interests. He suggests representative
business committee be selected to bring
to the attention of the government the
most suitable site.
W. Y. Chute, president of the Real
Estate board, goes into the matter at
length. He says it is needless to dwell
on the necessity of. acquiring tract
2 near the union station. And he en-
phasizes the ACCESSIBILITY Of a Nicollet
or Hennepin frontage below Washing
I VProgressive cities,'' says Mr.: Chute
the esthetic Side Of civic life, and arc
I spending millions redeeming prominent
4 districts which are unattractive.
\ Minneapolis has SO special center
4 and the natural place for such place
4 is the district bordering Nicollet ant
I Hennepin, between Washington and thu
river.
s'The majority of people entering GU:
q consequently their first and last impress
q sions are bad.
"From Ia broad standpoint this oil
I district should be redeemed and il tn
postoffce were located here it woul(
become a powerful factor in aiding :
4 movement for making this specifi
civic center.
ssFrom the standpoint of the govern
4 ment this location would be eminentl'
Il satisfactory, and I think the citizens o
q Minneapolis would do well to use thei
a best efforts toward locating the post
& office there.
q "Center block is too small for tn
u postoffce building, and the blocks i'm
n mediately across Nicollet and Henne
pom are probably too expensive, cor
a sidering the present appropriation.
q ~ believe, however, that the bloc
q on which stands the Pence opera houss
n and that on which is located the Paul
n house would be eminently satisfacor
b from every standpoint, and could b
q purchased within the amount apporpr
ated by the government. If one Of thes
Il blocks were obtained and the old cit
"a hall RACED the city could then feel tina
"a large step had been taken in the wa
"a Of permanent improvement in this di
- 4l1 "a n1r +
ID the necessity Of further developmen
II o1onr +his line -