The San Francisco call., 1910-04-09
MAY BUIlDEYRIFFOR
MERCHANTS CLUB
Merchants Exchange Consider
ing Proposition to Add
Story to Structure

The largest business building in San
Francisco north of Sutter street is the
object of a great deal of interest on the
part of two large organizations of San
Francisco businessmen. The building
is the structure erected by and owned
by the Merchants exchange. The per-
sons principally interested in an i'm
portant and highly interesting new
phase that it may soon assume are the
members of the Merchants exchange
and the Merchants club.
1t has occurred almost simultaneously
to a considerable number of leading
men, who have business about the Mer-
chants exchange building every secular
day, that tits possible and also advis-
able to increase the present accommo-
dations of the structure by the addi-
tfon of another full story for the pur-
pose of providing quarters for the Mer-
chants club.
ing the height to which materials must
be raised and similar factors of ex-
pense, may be about $4,000. Whatever
the expense may be the Merchants ex-
change will incur it is to provide quar-
ters for the Merchants club on long
time lease.
DISCUSSING THE PROPOSITION
The Merchants club has been dis
cussing a new location and the Mer-
chants exchange is desirous of securing
a good tenant of the sort for which the
building was originally planned. The
matter has gone so far that the Mer-
chants exchange has submitted a
proposition to the Merchants club,
which is said by Secretary T. c. Fried
lander to be an inducement. On the
other side of the house the Merchants
club has appointed a committee to con-
slider the matter, and the subject has
become one of daily conversation in the
club, now located in Sansome street
between Halleck and Sacramento.
The Merchants exchange building
has II floors now and is therefore dis
tfnctively in the San Francisco class
of skyscrapers. From the top of it all
the bay and the eastern shores of the
county of San Francisco are in full
view, and the available landscape also
takes in very large part of the city
east of Montgomery street over to the
tops of Mob hill, Russian hill and other
heights.
VIEW OF CITY AN INDICTMENT
Another story would not materially
increase this view, but it would insure
it's unbrokep continuance for many
y
city that another story would give to
club that might lease it is an induce
ment.
According to Secretary Friedlander
of the Merchants exchange it is pro-
posed to build full story. This would
give an additional 10000 square feet
of floor space, all of which can be
leased by the Merchants club.
In addition to this the Merchants ex-
change is willing to make a domed
apartment for a dining room for the
Merchants club, if it is desired. There
has been some talk regarding the erec-
ton of dome upon the roof.
The Merchants exchange has had in
view, ever since the plans were drawn,
to concentrate, for convenience, as
many mercantile bodies in the Mer-
chants exchange building as possible.
The Merchants association, the Mer-
chants exchange with its offices and
assembly room, the board of fire under
writer's and the Chamber of Commerce
of San Francisco are now tenants. A
large share of the conferences of busi-
nessmen of San Francisco take place
IN the structure. The commercial
bodies mentioned have a membership
that includes thousands of firms and
corporations. To the Merchants ex-
change and to large following in the
Merchants club the idea seems to be
logical that the Merchants club should
come to the same general headquarters.
ARGUMENT OF CLUB MEMBERS
An argument that has been advanced
on this point throws an interesting
light on the general belief regarding
the great increase of sea commerce in
the port of San Francisco in the next
few years and the steady and enormous
growth of the same branch of business
In succeeding periods, for the advocates
OF removing the Merchants club argue
that they will be able at meals to look
down on practically the entire shipping
or the port; that, as the business of the
port Will be largely by sea, the use of
the top story of the Merchants ex-
change building for the club purposes
would provide a famous eyrie from
which to survey business conditions
an eyrfe certain to become famous
among business visitors from all parts
| of the world.