New-York tribune., 1907-10-27
PARK INVASION AFOOT.
Plan to Erect an Ugly Structure
Close to the City Hall.

Some time this week a proposal will come be-
fore the Board Of Estimate and Apportionment
TO erect two story rough brick structure IN
the City Hall Park on the site of the old struct-
ure, near Centre street which was recently re-
moved. after public protests against its insight
ly appearance after the construction Of the sub
way had taken part Of it away.
The proposed new temporary building is 10
provide additional accommodation for the city
Court in the adjoining brownstone building.
and will be approximately 100 feet in length
and 60 feet in breadth. II will be constructed
of ordinary rough brick. and will have a fiat
roof. There will be one courtroom and Offices
on the first floor and two large courtrooms on
the second floor. The cost is estimated at about
$4,000. and it is intended that the building
shall be removed as soon as a new courthouse
can be erected.
The reason urged for putting up this tempo
rary building in the most central open space IN
the crowded downtown business part Of the
city is the immediate need of more room for
the use of the three new City Court judges who
VIII be elected next month. The old brownstone
courthouse has long been overcrowded. Some
additional room procured last year in the
Tweed courthouse by the removal of the Surro-
gates offices to the new Hall Of Records. but
that space was almost Immediately occupied by
the new judges of the Supreme Court bench. It
is a physical impOssibility, the officials assert,
TO provide quarters for any more judges in
either of the overcrowded buildings. Efforts to
procure suitable space elsewhere have been un-
successful and the erection of a temporary
structure in City Hall Park is represented as the
only feasible way out of the difficulty.
The responsibility for adequately housing the
city courts is at least nominally vested in the
Borough President, who is supposed to looK
after all public buildings in Manhattan. The
method proposed by Mr.. Ahearn for getting
over the present situation to add another
story to the old brownstone building. and for
this purpose he made application 10 the Board
OF Estimate and Apportionment for $4,000 to
cover the cost of the work The members of
the board, however, are not in favor OF this
plan, because they say it is obvious that $4,000
would not begin TO cover the actual cost of add
ing a story to the old building. Three times
that amount, il Is asserted. would be nearer the
mark. Within the next few years 1t may be
necessary for the city to replace the present
structure in City Hall Park with a new and
much larger one To add another story to the
building at a cost of S1j0000 is regarded as
most expensive way of providing what only
be regarded as temporary quarters anyway
At a recent meeting, upon the suggestion OF
the Controller. the Board OF Estimate and APP
portionment asked the engineers of the Finance
Department 10 prepare estimate Of the cost
of a temporary structure 10 be erected upon
the site Of the old engine house in City Hall
Park This report is now being prepared and
will be presented some time this week
When the bill authorizing the addition of
three more judges to the City Court bench was
before the Legislature at its last session it was
shown that there were some seventeen hundred
cases on the calendar that had not come up for
hearing The present judges able to get
through about seven hundred cases a year At
this rate II would take three years to dispose of
the cases on the calendar If no more were added
in the mean time. II was largely upon the repre-
sentations that such condition of affairs was
practical denial of justice to hundreds of Iiti-
gants that the bill providing for the election of
three new judges became a law
II is now maintained that unless some plan
for speedily providing more courthouse accom-
mediation is at once decided upon the three new
Judges when elected will be rf the anomalous
position of having quarters in which to dis
charge their judicial functions