The San Francisco call., 1910-02-05
EXTENSIVE STREET
GRADING PLANNED
Work in BeaIe and Main Streets
VIII Affect the Railroad
Situation

Another move is in view in the
southern part Of the city that will
serve 10 increase the interest that is
aa foot in relation TO the schemes of
rransportation lines. ana especially of
-tHe Southern Pacific company, along
,ae water front Of san Francisco. be-
tween Beale street and the foot of
Market street IN East street. Main
street viii be cut down TO fiat grade
from Bryant 10 Folsom street. if the
board of supervisors see fit to sane
tion the work, and a sufficient pro-
portion Of the property owners along
The street signify their approval of the
plsn.
il viii be remembered that the
largest land holding of the Southern
Pacific company in that neighborhood
an entire block bounded by Beale,
Main. Howard and Folsom streets,
which was formerly the site of the
tiSdon iron works. The former board
az supervisors ordered that Beale street
iould be cut down TO fat grade.
IT Main street Is treated similarly
both ends of the Southern Pacific block
VIII he bounded by streets over which
steam railroads can be operated with
hSolute ease.
At the same time the value of the
block VIII be enhanced from all points
of view by being made accessible to
aiming Of the heaviest sort between
rae wharves on the bay front at Main
and Beale streets. Ia this respect the
TWO streets mentioaed viii he equal for
abroad or vehicle use To Spear street
which is the teaming outlet and ware
rousins section for the Santa Fe rail-
"aE. ~ its bay terminal in the down
HH.rn-
block viii be one of the best in San
francisco for The establishment of
warehouses or for any other subsidiary
rr accessory use that a railway inter-
-Sted IN bringing sea and rail carriage
together might require
The project of grading Main street
down has been presented TO the Mer-
.hauts' Association of San Francisco.
The Bealc street grade project was first
ken up by the association, which
urged lt that the plan should be exc
-uted. and the association was success
81 In persuading the supervisors that
Tubic good would be served by MAX
1= Beale street an easy thoroughfare
100 haul over.
The Merchants association has in
frmed the engineering department of
tte city that Main street should be
ade equal in facilities 10 BeaIe street.
ac matter has not come before the
.0aid OF supervisors yet and may not
ne formally presented until the urorLx
1pon the Beale street grade has been
oompleted. in connection with the via
oNrt 10 be constructed al Harrison
street 10 unite Harrison once more
after Il has been severed by the deep
CUT that VIII be made a the Harrison
i5faIe street crossing. but Main street
'5 l1e next matter Of commercial impor-
lance relating to streets in that Dart
- "a MOI Tr.ar
next.
The work on the Beale street cut and
lal grade has not begun. but the prem
aratlon Of plans and specifications nrior
q" adVertlsing the work has made good
"L'sTess- Ihe engineering department.
tn+ CITY government has worked out
t-e oetaits pretty fully. An improve
Eent district viii be created To pa-
me expenses Of the cutting down and
Sfading and also the cost of the steel
.idduct over Beale at Harrison street.
All the preliminaries can be finished
LIP IeIy soon and the actual work
WIZ pe2ln in short time.
The grading at Main street will
ptobab be performed. if the super-
flsors vote afiirmatively on the district
cost plan There is less of A grade
n Nam street than in Beale between
tlafrlson and the water front In
deed, heavy teaming is now carried
on over Main street but not with the
ease that VIII come when a fat grade
is instituted Possibly it viii be neces-
Sary 10 build another Viaduct TO span
Main street.
From Main street eastward TO East
street all the streets reaching TO the
southern water front are practically
tat below Howard street and. in fact
through 70 Market These are Spear.
~teuart and East streets. The addf-
rton Of two more fat thoroughfares to
these VIII greatly increase the area
through which spur tracks may be run
TO warehouses and also the area in
which tesming may be carried on from
the southern water front TO the center
II the downtown wholesaling and
manufacturing district that is south
Of Market street and east Of Third
street
In connection with the operations of
the state board Of harbor commission
ers in the extension OF the seawall and
the construction OF large and up to date
vharves and piers, a practical revo-
lstion Of the downtown topography
win be effected. once through the
grades that now block trains from
Main streets, the entire district for
many blocks, clear up to Market street
could be served with spur tracks to
warehouses and wholesale houses to
the limit that the supervisors would
approve
The commercial possibilities in a
complete union of the downtown
blocks and the water front south of
Market street are very large.
S
nET EDS DEDnDT CAIEC