Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-06-08
NEW IN PLACE OF OLD
Changes Taking Place in d
Business Section.
FOR BETTER BUILDINGS
Values of Property Justify a Large
Outlay.
SMALL HOUSES SHOW A PROFIT
What an Observer Sees in Current
Conditions Affecting Two Glasses
of Realty Investment.

improvements in the building line in tho
capital this spring are many and so III
versifed." an operator in realty remarked.
that one is at a loss. In riding about tho
city, to properly classify them. though
there one or two which. while coppar-
atively small. stand out as specific in
stances
From the standpoint OF investment and
as indicative OF their respective neighbour
hood betterment. ! refer to individual cor
ner improvements one class. and tho
small. well-built two-story dwelling tho
other.
las instance OF corner improvements
on a moderate scale. the new white brick
building just rooted at the northeast corner
of 18th and + streets is an excellent exam
pie. This corner Is in the central DOWN
town business section. and the building
RACED to give place to the new was of the
style of several generations ago.
The new building, of steel girder inte-
rior work. is an Improvement and the
demolition Of the old building marks tho
change which has taken place In this Nictn-
ty since The Star. with its fine corner i'm
! provement on the same street. one block
farther south. blaZed the way toward cor
ner improvements In this business locality.
Value of Corner Improvements.
"On the opposite corner, the northwest. OF
the same intersecting streets, the old build
new two-story red brick business building
| now stands in its place A comparatively
| recently erected building Is at the southeast
corner, and the southwest corner only
mains for modern improvement. With the
| large new warehouse of Moses & Sons, on
| 18th between + and + streets; the Grips
| building. on the east side of 18th street be-
| tween Pennsylvania avenue and Il street:
| the new brick building on the north side Of
E between 10th and 18th streets, given over
purposes
| of the northwest corner of 10th and ID
| streets, and the southwest corner of 18th
street and Pennsylvania avenue; the new
addition to the Raleigh Hotel; the new store
| building on Pennsylvania avenue next to
| the Mount Vernon railroad station, extend
| ing through to d street, and the remodeling
| of other buildings and stores in this Vicin-
| ity have given in very short time new
| and decidedly improved aspect to this neigh-
borhood
| LAS Instances of corner improvements
| upon a large and costly scale in immediate
course of erection there need only be men
| toned two Of the hundreds which one may
the new fireproof office building at the
| northeast corner of f and 14th streets ans
the new trust company structure at the
| southwest corner of 18th and III streeN
| northwest.
| Other Profitable Properties.
eliminating the costlier corner improves
| ments from present consideration, to my
! mind think moderate investments of this
kind are among the best in the city.
There are many desirable corners in all
parts Of the various business sections OF
| town upon which are now situated old
style and not sufficiently well-paying
properties which could be demolished and
new and profitable stores and overhead
| apartments erected in their stead. None
| of these new corner stores Is vacant;
| in fact, vacant stores in Washington are
| the exception. The new corner stores are
/ o. nnn enc nd Tod Of In
| creased rental, which is readily paid, and
| which gives very satisfactory return
! upon the initial amount invested.
| "An instance serves at the southwest
| corner of It'll and NJ streets northwest.
| where an old frame gave way to a new
| brick business block, turning an unpro-
ductive piece Of property into well-pay-
| ing one, and there are a score or more
| similar corners upon this single street In
| this section Of town which have thus been
| recently profitably metamorphosed. L have
| observed that these same improvements
are going on in all sections of the city, in-
Guiding the southwest and the southeast
| though the instances may be more album
| dainty noticed in the northwest.
Money in Houses.
| ct also consider the two-story dwelling.
| to which l have adverted, in sections OF
| town where this class Of houses is adapt
| ed and where there Is a demand for such
accommodations, to class with the mod
! erately sized corner store improvement as
a fixed and certain type Of good rentable
| property. These houses can be erected to
| advantage In rows, and / have observed
many such In different parts of the city,
| especially in the southwest, southeast and
| northeast sections.
| II have also observed that few, II any,
| are vacant. In fact, they seem to be oc-
| cupied at once upon completion, and 1t is
| my understanding that they are largely in
| demand by persons whose means are
| adapted to their occupancy. Houses OF
| this class will rent where those command
| ing higher rental will remain awaiting
| tenancy for some time. and as there are
| still many good blocks for these smaller
| dwellings open for building purposes, In
| vestors might we'll seek them a field for
| the immediate use of their funds"