Omaha daily bee., 1910-03-27
HALF NILE OF SEYSCRAPERS
Unique Buildings Going Up at the
Grand Central.
WONDERFUL ARRANGEMENT PLAN
Permanent worlds Fair 90 he Housed
over q Triple Tier of Railroad
Traeks-PIans OF the
New Terminal.

there viii arise a group Of buildings which
will be unique in many respects. They win
Be the only buildings in the world built
directly over three railroad yards, for that
is virtually what the Grand Central ter
minal viii be In its track arrangements.
Down underneath these buildings, which
win stretch along Lexington avenue for
nearly half mile and viii bear compsri-
son in size with any buildings in New
York. there viii be not one but three layers
OF tracks II what would be the cellar and
subcellers OF the ordinary skyscraper there
will be hundreds Of railroad cars, electric
switch engines will be constantly at work
shifting the cars and the great business Of
a railroad yard will go on. while above
vii be offices and salesrooms as free from
the noise OF engines and OF cars as any 20
be found.
When the railroad people some years ago
proceeded to denolish block after block Of
structures in the heart OF New York IN
order to dig the big hole for the railroad
yard a lot Of folks perhaps thought that
New York was going to be left with this
big hole in its middle spanned only by
bridges. But with real estate as high as
It is It isn't to be wondered at that the
New York Central folks planned Il differ
ently-planned to erect skyscrapers right
over that big hole and thus make produc-
tive the area on which the buildings had
been razed and to shift trains underneath
these buildings.
All this involved some ticklish foundation
work. to be sure. but that was practically
the only difficulty. Not alone must the
weight OF thirteen-story buildings, each
covering a square block, be supported. but
on these same steel supports there would
be the additional weight OF a railroad yard
In three tiers. each loaded with steel cars.
Fortunately it is all rock there. good solid
Manhattan rock that win stand almost
anything. hence 1t was merely problem Of
getting steel supports big enough for the
weight
OF the six buildings which in time will
cover the yard along Lexington avenue
from Forty-third to Fiftieth street only
one, the smallest. has been completed This
is the postoffice and part OF the executive
offices. Work has been started on the
other, which viii take the place OF the
present Grand Central Palace. shortly to
be torn down. This building VIII be the
main executive office building. Forty
fourth street is to be closed. 50 that with
the postoffice it viii virtually form one
building.
OF the other buildings the plans for the
two Just to the north Of the postoffice
have just been filed. and they are to be
completed in a year.
The building which VIII house the rail
road officers will be only seven stories
high, but with impressive architectural
features one of which will be its Doric
columns The two latest buildings TO be
planned viii be thirteen stories high. Not
alone win these buildings be unique in
respect TO their location over railroad
yard. but the use for which they are de-
signed is novel. They are 10 be known
as the Merchants and Manufacturers ex-
change.
The idea in their erection is an ampli-
fication Of that involved in the old Grand
Central Palace, which for twenty years
has been the home OF the New York
Furniture exchange. One Of the two build
ings will still retain the name OF the
Grand Central Palace and nine OF its
floors viii house the furniture people. It
is planned to have the other do the same
thing for other trades
The big exhibition hail viii be in the
first Of the two buildings that which viii
take the place Of the Old Grand Central
Palace. The ceiling over the main part
Of the hall will be three stories high. II
viii be surrounded by galleries overlook
ing the main flscr. Altogether it wiz have
floor space OF I25.0oO square feet. or
about four times the space available on
the floor Of Madison Square garden
II is the aim to make these two big
structures great showrooms for the i'm
portant manufacturing trades in and about
New York along the lines that the fur
niturs men have been following. SO that
buyers coming to New York will have a
central exhibition and purchasing place.
II the plans are carried out successfully !
wholesale buyer Of pianos from the west |
instead OF having to travel around 10 diff
ferent parts Of this big city, can go TO one
floor OF this exchange and there see sam
pies Of the different manufacturers. SO /
with the boot and shoe buyer. Hence IT
VIII be a sort OF permanent exposition for
New York
New York viii be the first city in the
country to have such q building. II is the
direct result so the builders say, OF the
size OF the city, where It Is becoming more
and more difficult for buyers to get around
There are 20 be features without number
to these new buildings. Each will be sur
rounded at the top by a two-story arcade,
to be gorgeously Illuminated at night One
OF the buildings viii have a roof garden
and a restaurant. Trains will unload ex-
hibits and buyers down in their cellars and
they VIII be whisked up in elevators 20 the
various shows.
To the north Of these buildings VIII be
two others. one between FOrty-eighth and
Forty-ninth streets and the other between
Forty-ninth and Fiftieth streets. They VIII
be somewhat smaller. but are designed TO
form part Of the general scheme
An the buildings viii be OF the same
material. limestone and granite. and IL has
been the aim OF the architects 10 make one
harmonious stretch OF buildings extending
from Forty-third 10 Flftisth street Il Is
the belief Of the architects. Reed & Stem
and Warren & Wetmore. that when their
labors are finished they viii have helped
along the city beautiful idea at least to the |
extent OF making Lexington avenue for a
stretch OF nearly half a mile the most i'm /
pressive commercial street In the world
The New York Central and the New
York. New Haven & Hartford. partners In /
the terminal development are erecting al /
the buildings. The Merchants and Manu- /
facturers exchange has leased the four
northern ones. T. p. V. Ritter. the prssi- /
dent OF the exchange. IS a ST. Louis real /
estate man who came here some years ago. |
When these buildings and the Grand /