The Washington herald., 1907-02-20
PLAN new MARKET
Options on Two Squares in
Northeast Washington.
LOCATION NEAR RAILROAD
Baltimore Capitalists Back scheme TO
Facilitate Wholesale Produce Busi-
ness-ObjectIOn VIII BE Made to
Permit 10 Lay Tracks-SeveraI Com
mission Merchants sign Agreement.


has been quietly pulled off within the past
few weeks, involving two squares of prop
erty, which viii cost the purchasers about
500, 900. The two squares are those num-
bered on the plat books as 673 and IL.
bounded by North Capitol street on the
west. NJ street on the north, Delaware
avenue on the east, and l. street on the
south. The two squares, aside from an
apartment house on the west square, at
the corner Of North Capitol and NJ streets.
and some smaller buildings near First
street, are unimproved land. The largest
owners are the Nash brothers and Brai-
nerd H. Warner.
Several weeks ago agents representing
Baltimore capitalists secured options on
the property of the two squares. keeping
their purpose we'll concealed, until il
became necessary In working ont the OBJ
ject of the deal to show their hand. The
price of the land has not been made pub
lie, except in the lump sum mentioned
BaItimOreans Back Plan.
The buyers of the two squares are a
company composed of capitalists in Balti-
more. with few in Washington, whose
names cannot now be made known. The
purposes Of the company are to erect upon
the ground suitable buildings for the uses
of the wholesale merchants and commits
sion houses, now grouped on Louisiana
avenue and adjacent streets. between Sew
enth and Eleventh streets northwest.
Within the last few days number Of
the wholesale and commission merchants
have been approached by representatives
of this company and the outline of the
project placed before them. They have
been asked TO sign papers setting forth
their willingness to remove TO the new
market location on condition that sufi-
cient number of men in their lines should
agree TO 90 there, and on condition that
facilities and rental not above a specified
figure should be charged for a term OF
years. IL was stated yesterday that some
of the wholesale men had become inter
ested in the project and had signed the
agreement
Land Not All Acquired.
It was also stated that the plans of the
company were well advanced. and that
while all the land had not actually been
purchased the options were in such shape
In case Of some Of the smaller holdings,
it is understood, the agreements to sell
have been closed and deposit money paid
on the deals
Another step in the execution Of the
project was the Introduction in Congress
last week of a bill to lay railroad tracks
into the two squares There Is much
objection, however. TO laying tracks
across any more streets in Washington,
and the passage OF the bill viii un-
doubtedly be opposed.
The plan for the removal OF the whole
sale market had its inspiration in several
circumstances, principal Of which is the
expectation that the government will at
an early day purchase the land lying
between Pennsylvania avenue and the
Mall and put it to public uses. While this
may not be Immediately pending the inn
preston has been growing for several
years that IL viii be the ultimate DISPOSE
ton of the property. To such an extent
does this impression prevail that property
owners IN the wholesale district have been
10th to make any substantial improve
ment upon the property they hold.
Wholesale District Crowded.
The cumulative result Of these coudi-
lions is that the wholesale merchants
are crowded into narrow quarters, many
Of them being much happered for want
of room. and the best of them with
facilities hardly equal TO the demands OF
business. Landlords it is said. I'm many
| cases viii not make even necessary i'm
pTovements, to say nothing Of tearing
down unsightly and badly arranged build
ings and replacing them with better
ones. even when assured Of higher rental
One commission merchant said yester-
day that he would long ago have bought
some piece of property on Louisiana ave-
nue., and improved it 10 suit his business
but for the fact that all the property was
held a SO high a price that 10 MIN. il was
pTohibitive. As a result he had been
doing business for years in a building
TOO small for his trade. and so badly ar
ranged that he was handicapped at every
turn.
| In conversation yesterday with commits
| sion merchants. it was learned that a
similar plan for wholesale market had
been talked of in South Washington s.
| far a 8 could be learned. however, the prof.
ect has not taken form, and remains in
| the incepuve stage, If any actual work
/ has been done toward acquiring property
I eff or Ia,