The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-07-14
By October lSt Sh000,000 Worth of Building Will 
 Be Under Way
JEMISON SOUNDS THE
 MOST OPTIMISTIC NOTE
Building Increase for June Greater in Birmingham Than in Any Other American Clty-other Ban
 ner Months Approach.

Building, generally considered sign of good times, is looking upward in Bir- mingham.
 A report sent out by the Construction News of Chicago on June buildings in fl leading cities of the United States ranks Birmingham first for the greatest gain over June of last year, the increase being l34 per cent. Milwaukee is placed second with 6S per cent gain and St. Paul ranks third with a gain of 43 per cent.
 This progressiveness in building circles will not be confined to the month of June. By the 1st of October Birmingham will have in the course of construction over a million of dollars worth of buildings, and the figure may reach million and half. The report of the city building inspector for the month of June showed that build ing permits were issued during that month calling for the expenditure of s553,se and it was on thls figure that the Magic City headed the list of the nations big cities in the matter of increase over the corre- spending month of the preceding year. In June, 1907, the aggregate amount of the building permits issued was $236,6sO.
 While Birmingham may not again leaG for a single month, the following build ings, which are either now under course of construction or will be by Oo<bber 1. will give the city a good building record
 Brown-Marx addition at cost of $500, 900.
 Empire building, corner of First avenue and Twentieth street. s4oooo0.
 Chamber of commerce. s15O,OOo.
 Mercantile buildings, s75.0oo
 Residences, $sO,OOo.
 There Is also a possibility that a hand some hotel will go up on the Jordan cor ner, Fifth avenue and Twentieth street.
 MT. Jemlson's Statement.
 Robert Jemison, Jr., sums up the gen eral condition of building circles In the following manner
 T have been back from the east only a few weeks and while away l had occa- sion to visit not only New York, but a humber of the other big eastern cities. It ia my candid opinion that building circles III ioii lldNc d ACditAiSi lOAiO ehoii any of the cities I visited while away.
 Birmingham people beyond a doub, have a very marked feeling of confidence end I attribute 1t to the fact that they know that property will never be cheaper here than 1t is now, and that while build ing material is at a comparatively low figure, as 1t Is now, they take that same view that they are fixtures in the Bir- mingham district and while conditions are favorah. .ney are seizing the opportu- nity of building reasonably.
 This applies to people seeking to build residences as well as those seeking to make Investments in mercantile and office buildings.
 Residence property in all sections of Birmingham is enhancing in value, aud many substantial homes are being com structed. It is fact that transactions in residence sites have been more numer- ous during the past two weeks than they have been in nearly year. Property in nearly every section Is in demand, and especially is such the case In the vari- ous subdivisions between Birmingham anu hlSlcy anu DSSSSihSi. AhO eNtifitJ In the Ensley district is very probably due to the proposed improvements of the properties of the United States Steel corporation.
 Tn the business section of the city know of several proposed mercantile practically cut and dried. Besides these 1t will be noted that, although building was dealt a blow at the recent prohibl- tion election, the old saloon sites are being improved, while new buildings are going up on other sites.
 Plans for Skyscraper.
 AS to the building which the Empire Construction company proposes to build on the Bank saloon site, on the nortll- west corner of First avenue and Twen- teth street, you may say that everything is progressing satisfactorily. 1 have only just finished dctating letter urging the architects to furnish us with the plans for the plumbing and heating of the building at the earliest possible date. We already have in hand the plans for the building itself.
 We hope to let the contract for the construction of the Empire building some time before the present lease on the site expires, which will be October 1. What ever time the contractor may have befoIe the present lease on the corner expires he can use very beneficially in asse;ii- bling his material so that ground may be broken for the new structure on Oc- tober l.
 50, taken as whole, the outlook is exceedingly bright. The fall of this year promises to witness a revival of the oc- time activity, and the year 1908 will 10 doubt take a prominent stand If not the leading stand, in the history of building in Birmingham"
 Marrione 1 icAneeS Issued.