The San Francisco call., 1910-03-26
OUTLOOK FOR BIG
SEASON EXCELLENT
Water Front improvements Are
Feature of Activity in Oak
lands Development

OAKLAND. March 25.-The week has
been satisfactory to real estate dealers.
Building activity, notably in the new
residence districts. continues to be a
feature OF market conditions. Every
sign points to an excellent year in
realty Not for many Seasons has there
been such unanimity as has been noted
IN the expression of opinion from those
who are closely in touch with the pres
ent outlook.
AN IMPORTANT CITY
Ga lzland has become one of the most
important cities in the west by reason
of the inteili gent public spirit which is
manifested in the administration Of
public and private enterprises. Not
content with having paved the way
for extensive improvements in harbor
and other municipal projects, the city
IS now nearing another proposed in
vestment in a large addition to the
public parks and Fairgrounds. in the
increase of its public school facilities.
among these a magnificent manual
training high school. to stand among
the best in the United States.
MUNICIPAL DOCK SYSTEM
Il is assured that, with a continu-
ance OF the policies which have been
maintained for the last five years in
RhOilS StINlCe- I0nk before the
Panama canal is opened Oakland will
be provided with a commodious sys-
TEN of municipal docks and wharves
ready to handle no end of the COM
merce which is bound TO come to this
port
mile of new wharyes built along
the inner harbor OF Oakland's water
front during the next few months is
assured The municipal wharves to
ad
ment with money already voted viii
make up 200 feet, or little more
than half a mile. The Oakland dock
and warehouse company will recon
struct nearly a third of a mile along
the front OF that company's holdings,
and the frontage of the Pacific steel
and wire works company. the Hogan
humber company and other private cor
porations to be built up will easily
run the total above the figures first
given above.
This wharf building is being under
taken because of the preparations of
the federal government 10 dredge the
channel of the inner harbor so as to
permit the largest freight carrying
ships that come through the Golden
gate 10 dock along the Oakland es-
tuary.
IMPROVING INNER HARBOR
That policy OF the federal govern
meht would never have been adopted
had not the municipality taken the
vigorous steps it has TO improve tho
city's holding along the inner harbor.
When the work on the water front
by the city and private corporations
is completed, as now planned. there
viii be a connected chain of such
wharves extending from the Howard
coal bunkers. next to the Moore &
Scott ship yards, to within a short dis
tance OF the tidal canal. or more than
q mile along the Oakland side of the
estuary. The government dredging
viii soon give 80 feet of water in the
channel opposite these wharves and
25 feet from the foot of Ninth avenue
10 the tidal canal.
The preparations to expend approx
rnately $4,000, 600 by the city and nearly
as much by private firms and corpora
tions on this part of the inner harbor
OF Oakland when supplemented by the
government work on the channel has
stimulated water front Improvement
on the south side of the estuary and on
the adjacent lands TO such an extent
that a record breaking season of build
ing in that district is to be expected.
Real estate holders and the building
trades report that the construction of
residence houses in every section of
Oakland is going ahead at a rate that
bears out the most liberal estimates
for the seasons total in that class OF
Improvements.
Building Of both business and resi-
dence houses has been given a great
impetus during the last week by the
vigor with which street work has been
started.
The getting under contract or under
actual construction of l9 miles of new
street paving, asphalt being used on
more than a fourth in the downtown
district, and on the remainder the best
macadam for the residence sections.
has shown that the street department
is making the most of the time during
which such work can be done.
The amount, involved in the new
street work already under way is
nearly 100000, and Oakland. which
stood second among California cities
last year for such Improvement. will
without doubt have a long lead at the
close Of the present season.
one Of the noticeable features of
the real estate market during the week
has been the increasing inquiries by
lenders of outside capital who are
seeking investment in mortgages on
new and well placed properties
That Oakland is being put down as
one of the solid cities where outside
placed insures low rates of interest for
builders and a correspondingly larger
investment in first class business struc-
lures.
BUILDING PERMITS
Building permits for February and
March to date run upward of 100000
Builders expect the season to be one
Of the largest in the city's records.
A summary of building permits ap-
piled for at the board OF public works
for the week. as compiled by Walter
B. Fawcett, the secretary, follows:
Permits. Amounts.
One story dwellings. S.-....,....-. b $53.950
One and half story dwellings,. 290o
Two story dwellings. ..-....--.... 10 12S
Two story dwelling with stores. l $500
Two story fats. fs........-...-..... 1000
One story factory .-......-....-. 5000
One story dry rnoup- -.......-.-.. 500
One story warehouse. ..-..-...... 1000
One story four room depot. 1000
workshops. garages harms. sheds ii 21s2
Alterations, additions, repairs. 20 lo390