New-York tribune., 1909-02-19
BRIDGE. LOOP CHANGES
p s. c. W4NTS MORE LAND
FOR SCBW4Y STATION.
Suggests Reimbursement By Erect
ing Large BaiidingS-Sir
Tracks Planned.

Tho Public Service Commission sent a PROPOSE
,,on Yesterday 20 the Board of Estimate and APP
,o-tionment, which will come before the board
8, its meeting to-day. relating TO changes which
she commission deems necessary in the construc-
,ion OF that portion Of the Brooklyn loop lines
extending from a point near the Brooklyn Bridge
>, q noinf lust ncrth Of Pearl street
The changes involve enlarging the Brooklyn
,rsdse loop subway station from four track to
8 six track station. and increasing the strength
,s -5e structure where the subway goes under
land acquired by the city, so that large and
heavy buildings at least twenty stories high may
b erected over the subway, and thus make it
nossibe for the city TO sell the land after the
suhv-ay has been completed
The commission points out that when the
Esnid Transit Commission executed the loop
contracts the plans for the proposed municipal
,,il5ing we're not definitely formulated. but at
she reouest ef Mayer Mcclellan. in May lSoS
lori, was suspended the Brooklyn Bridge
INN subway station SO that the city depart
-,s1ts and the commission might agree on plans
yrbieb would reduce 10 minimum the delay in
a.. construction Of both the municipal building
and the subway
,r.a columns of the new building necessarily
iii he larger than those provided for in the
,-ipjnal subway plans, which will require IN
--szee5 width for the subway station even with
,o,- tracks. but the commission deems 1t ad-
.s..+1a that the station be made a six track
,.s-,on. to give the utmost capacity to the loop
HOS and 20 provide for future connections
The commission states that in addition TO the
s,1 estate needed. the probable additional cost
-. ~ constructing the extra tracks for six
s-.ck station Will be approximately S550O0o
-7. cos+ of strengthening the subway hoop to
.,1nor1 modern buildings will be about S325ooo'
sn5 TIE commission asks the Board Of Estimate
~ make an appropriation Of these two amounts
With regard 10 the question Of strengthening
.ro subway structure in land acquired by the
c,,, the commission states il has been its pol
scv wherever possible. TO acquire the Zee OF
,-,nerfv through which the subway runs, so
80 the work nay be prosecuted in the best
manner and with the expectation that, when
the construction is finished, the property may
he disposed of on favorable terms. with an ease
nent reserved for subway purposes By TINS
course the city not only acquires the property
IA closer approach TO its real value, but is
,n q posltion by a future sale 70 reap the beneht
~ the added attractiveness because Of the sub
way.
The property already acquired for the purpose
of the four track staten has an estimated value
Of 81 SOC 600. The additional property required
IN a ssx track station will probably be OF a
value Of s., 100000. That this property may be
scld to the best advantage, the commission is
he designed with such strength that IL would be
capsble of supporting buildings at least twenty
stories in height
The commission esys that It has carefully con-
sadered the advisability Of building four track
station now and of extending IL st some future
tine but has found such q plan both difficult
and much more expensive In this connection
tie commission says:
The portion of the Brooklyn loop lines al
ready under consideration is small in comparl-
son with the entire line as projected In Brook
lyn and Manhattan but is OF great importance
as controlling communication with three OF the
cirys great bridges and for that reason should
have capacity sufficiently in excess OF lnT1e-
date reQurern eTts to permit OF its use by oIher
roads which may act feeders The route
Of the Rrooklyn loop lines as laid out by the
Rapid Transit Board and approved by the Ap-
pellafe Division, continued beyond the present
proposed terminus at the Brooklyn Bridge down
William and Beekman streets, ana thence oy
tunnels under the East River TO Brooklyn.
where il joined q comprehensive system OF
loops anording facilities TO large ana import
ant section Of that borough
The Rapid Transit Board also laid out what
Is known as the Third avenue route, which ex-
tends down Nassau street and with which
connection with the loop lines may be import
ant. By siX-tracking the Chambers street sta
ton adequate provision cannot only be MADE
for the present but can be made for both OF
these OF other connections in the future. II
ihe proposed changes are now aoopted II VII VIII
be possible 10 extend the two westerly tracks
down Nassau street and the four easterly tracks
Of the station, by converging into two tracks
down William street and Beekman street
Unless some such increase as the pro-
posed is made future developments. as well as
the present development OF the Manhattan
Bridge viii be reduced to one-helf of the nor
MAJ capacity Il Is also true that the land
needed will be very much more expensive IN
the future II can be purchased now at much
lower figure than after the municipal building
and the loop have been completed. and real es-
tate has Increased in value because of these i'm
provenents The present cheap buildings VIII
also be replaced by larger Ones and this will
Increase the cost.