The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-06-14
.H0MESFOR NEGRO
TO SOLVE PROBLEM.
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Considerable Of a Building Boom
i'll Southwest Section Of
the City.
ALL CONTRACTORS ARE BUSY
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Many New Houses Going Up i'll
the Suburbs and Annexed
Territory.
ALL CONTRACTORS ARE BUSY

/ While there is nothing especially new
to report in the matter Of the erection
of now houses, 1t may be said in a gem
eral way that the building boom in the
| city and III the suburbs continues with
| out abatement. Contracts are being
made daily for new homes, and every
day tho keys Of completed houses are
being turned over to tho owners by
contractors In the main. the building
operations arc confined to residential
property, although considerable work
is being done on industrial Jobs Of one
kind and another. George w. Lambert
has just closed contract to erect for
Mr.. Lewis II. Blair handsome store
house on Park Avenue. which has al
ready been leased for a fancy uptown
grocery and general supply store.
Mcssrs. j. Thompson Brown & Co.
are just completing nine detached
houses on Carter, Dance and jackson
Streets. to BIO rented to colored people,
and they contemplate erecting as many
moro before tho summer is ended.
These are going dwellings of their
kind, built upon large lots and sup
piled with modern conveniences.
The building boom now on in this
section OF the city. which Is part
streets named, and on Washington
Street, may be said to be decided
step in tho direction of solving the
congestion problem for the color
ed people, which problem was re-
Gently borught to the attention OF
the Chamber OF Commerce. The cham
Der, as usual, appointed committee
and stopped right there. Tho commit
tee has never reported. and so far
as anybody knows no steps have ever
been taken looking to any solution of
the trouble Investors and the clty's
we'll wishers seem to have taken the
matter In hand and are working out a
solution of their own, and a common
sense solution it is.
A pleasing feature of this build
ing boom in the southwest section of
the city for the benefit of the better
class of colored people. is that the
most of the many houses being erect
ed there are going up on large and
| airy lots upon which the tenants, or
purchasers as the case may be. will
have room to turn around This part
of the city, which seems to open up
a territory especially suited to the
colored population already has con-
siderable city improvements and moro
are in contemplation by the powers
that be.
The negroes are awaiting themselves
of the opportunity to get decent places
to live in, and during the past week at
| least two of their cooperative finan-
cial organizations have made spur-
chases In this section. They will pro-
coed at once to build on the vacant
lots bought.
Building operations in the suburbs
continue active. It is said that three
persons who have recently bought lots
in Barton Heights are closing deals
with contractors to erect homes in
time for fall and winter occupancy.
Just beyond, in Brookland Park, con-
tracts have been made for the erec-
ton of eight houses on the half of the
sixteen lots recently bought by an
out of town investor.
| In Highland Park ground has been
broken for three new houses, and in all
of the suburbs the builders arc busy.
Contractors say they are not having
much, if any, trouble In getting work
men, and there IS every reason to look
for continuation of the building
boom.