Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-02-02
DAMAGE. TO PROPERTY
What is Being Done Around the
Union Station.
HOUSES ARE BELOW GRADE
Commission of Appraisers at Work for
Many Months.
PROBABLY WILL COST A MILLION
Another Phase of Establishment Of
Great Railroad Terminal
In This City.
PROBABLY WILL COST A MILLION

It Is generally believed that the amount
Of money that is to be spent in the build
ing of the union station In this city and
the doing away with the grade crossing
and the other items of expense in COM
pleting that great terminal will reach mill
lions of dollars. OF this large sum 1t is es-
timated that the station building alone will
cost five millions of dollars.
Included In the first estimate is of
course, the money that was spent by the
railroad company in acquiring the land
needed for the uses Of the terminal. In
the vicinity of the site of the new station
itself the purchase Of property was done on
an extensive scale, and as the streets lead-
ing into what is now becoming the plaza
in front of the new station building, as
well as to the track approaches to that
great structure, were largely occupied by
houses. there has been quite shifting
about in the past year or SO Of a portion
OF the population OF the city. .
Shifting of Population.
So great was this movement on the part
of those who had to go elsewhere in search
of places to live that their coming into
the market was regarded as one of the ele-
nents Of its activity. The money the prop
erty owners received from the railroad
company in exchange for their holdings
was, as a rule, again turned back into
realty, as they secured homes in other por-
tions Of the city or perhaps in the same
locality.
At any rate there was a large sum Of
money that was placed on the market In
the course of the process of changing such
a large residence area into one that would
be suitable for its new uses.
Settlement Of Claims.
Another phase of the great undertaking
as 1t affects property and the real estate
| market Is now presented in the settlement
Of claims Of property owners for damages
| to their property on account Of change OF
grade and other influences which are sup
posed to have an effect on the value of their
holdings. AS is well known. the site Sc
lected for the new station has a wedge
like shape north of Massachusetts avenue
and between North Capitol and LIST streets
northeast.
The line to the east of the railroad prop
erty does not come all the way up to LIST
street, and some of the streets will no
| longer have a direct course, but will be
diverted and in some cases entirely closed.
This forms, Of course, one element of dam
age to the property, and another is the
change of grade. owing to the necessity
Of raising up the level of the station, so az
to meet the tracks as they come into the
city above the street grades.
Changes in Grades.
In consequence Of the height of the sta
y,
houses facing the streets leading to 1t and
in the immediate vicinity are down In hol-
lows In some cases the new levels are up
to that Of the second-story windows and
in others to almost to the top of two
story house. Then, again, q property holder
finds that instead of being a thorough
fare he is on a stub end of a street. Such
considerations and Others affecting the
value of property are recognized as afford
ing valid ground for damage on the part
of the private owners and as the change in
volving the erection of the new steam road
terminal is sanctioned by public authority
the property owner looks to the public for
redress.
Such is being afforded by the medium OF
commission, appointed by the court,
which for the past year has been consider
ing just such cases. During the past fiscal
year about 100 of the four or five hundred
claims that have been filed have been adj
justed by the commission, which consists
of Charles A. Baker, George w. Moss and
George Spransy. The awards In those
cases aggregate about $134. 0O0 1t is looked
by the commission in the performance Of
its duties that Of the entire schedule thus
far passed upon by 1t more than 80 per
cent has been accepted by the District, ap-
proved by the court and been entirely sat
isfactory to the property holders.
Will Total a Million.
1t is estimated that the cost to the Dis
trict before the work is finished will reach
about a million of dollars. During the
present fiscal year thus far the commission
has passed upon claims on property located
on the north side of Massachusetts, ave-
nue. between North Capitol street and New
Jersey avenue, on the south side of the
same block and on the north side of r
street between North Capitol street and
New Jersey avenue.
The work of the commission is going
steadily on and will be continued until all
the claims for damages presented by prop
erty holders have been passed upon. AS
rapidly as that is done and the action Of
the commission is acquesced in there is no
delay appropriation of the money
has been made by Congress.
In the event the landowners or the COM
missioners are not satisfied with the ap-
praisement. a jury of segen persons Is
damages.