The San Francisco call., 1908-12-19
OUTLINES PLAN FOR
ACITY AUDITORIUM
Supervisor RixfOrd Discusses
Scheme to Replace the City
Hall Wreck
California Promotion Committee
Shows Much Interest in
Big Project

Proposed plans of a general nature
for the erection OF two new municipal
buildings to replace the old city hall
and the building of a mammoth audi
torIum on the present site were en-
Enthusiastically discussed at q meeting
of the reception committee of the Cali
fornia Promotion. committee yester-
day, at which the members of the
board of supervisors and other city
officials were guests.
Supervisor Loring p. Rixford ex-
planned the project which recently has
been given careful attention and study,
and a strong sentiment in favor of the
proposed Improvement was manifested.
The plan, as outlined, contemplates-
the purchase by the city of a strip of
land l0e feet wide on each side of Mar
shall square, extending through from
Market street to City Hall avenue. On
each of these parcels of land a modern
eight story building would be erected
-one for the use of the courts and
allied departments and the other for
general administrative offices. The
present city hall ruins would be en-
tireiy razed and on the same site
would be erected great auditorium.
A CONVENTION CITY
The auditorium idea is the outcome
of the plans of the California Promo
tion committee to make San Francisco
one of the greatest convention cities
of the United States. Such a build
ing as the one proposed would be in
some respects similar to Madison
Square garden in New York city, having
q. seating capacity of from $4,000 to
10000 and a removable floor laid over
asphalt or concrete, that would allow
| of its conversion into a huge hall for
horse shows, expositions, sporting
events, aquatic carnivals and the like.
The auditorium idea was favorably
| commented on by several speakers yes
! terday, including Chairman Rufus p.
| Jennings of the California Promotion
committee; Supervisors Bancroft, Jen-
nings and Payot, and City Architect
Newton ]. Tharp. Mayor Taylor also
took an active part in the informal
consideration of the plans. AS a re-
suit Of the meeting, it is probable that
City Architect Tharp will be asked to
prepare rough outline plans and esti-
mates of the general design and cost
of such group OF new buildings. The
estimate discussed yesterday was ST.
100000 for the departmental build
| ings and from $1.0oo,000 to s1,500.oo0
| for the auditorium.
MEETINGS SCHEDULED
Chairman Fred II. Meyer of the COM
mittee on conventions read a report
! concerning conventions of a national
character that already have been Sc
cured TO hold their meetings in San
Francisco within the next three years.
/ He also said that the committee was
now In correspondence with about 70
| other organizations, including the re-
publican and the democratic national
committees, relative to holding their
next national conventions in San Fran
| cisco or Los Angeles A letter was
| read from i. III. Newell, in charge of
i&t
the California Promotion committee on
| the manner in which it has entertained
visitors and attracted favorable at
! tention and publicity to San Fran
cisco and the state at large.
Those present at the meeting yes
terday were:
| Mayor Edward Il. Tay- Supervisor William