The Detroit times., 1911-10-20
MAYOR MAKES GREAT HIT
NTH WEST-SIDE PARK PLAN
Declared Best Bit of Work He
Has Done Since Returning TO
Executive Chair.

Mayor Thompsons plan for river
side drive and park from the west
Grand blvd TO Fort Wayne has made
biz hit with the citizens of Detroit
lie has not done anything, since ne
returned 10 the executive office last
January. that has struck a more pop
ular chord than his purchase OF the
10 IL acres from the jewell Betting
Co, as the FIRST step, he hopes, to-
ward the parkway scheme, and he is
being congratulated on all sides
While former Mayor Breltmeycr
had some such plan in view when ne
created the city plan and improve
ment commission Mayor Thompson,
nevertheless IS given credit for max
ing a definite start toward its actual
accomplishment
In closing a deal for the Jewell
property. he had the backing OF soy
eral public spirited citizens including
J. l.. Hudson. Milton A. McRae, pre5i-
. dent OF the Detroit Board of Com
mcrce, NJ j Murphy and +. II. Doyle.
II was OF their assurance that they
would stand behind him, IN case the
city failed TO take the property of
his hands, that he went ahead and
took up the option he held on the
property al $4,000. which is about
$4,000 tess than its assessed valua-
ton, and probably not more than half
its actual market value, for the prop
erty would make "A good factory site,
In this connection il transpres that
the mayor, ali one time held an option
on the property known as Hubbard
bay. AT the foot OF Plcasant-st for
$40 900 or 800 per foot This was
at the time the controversy was on
over the proposed purchase of the T..
w. Voigt site for a new garbage barn
nj about $500 per foot The Hubbard
property is now under water, but IL
would be good buy, the mayor
thinks, as Il would afford the city
additional dumping grounds, close at
hand, and at the same time the land
would be filed in II is the mayors
idea TO follow the same plan with the
otlrur submerged property IN Inc Tine
OF the proposed Improvement thus
the city, while making ready for the
parkway would be reclaiming vast
amount OF land and would restore the
symmetry of now badly cut up
water front.
~ 'It Is about time the city was doing
something to beauty it's water front,
before il is appropriated in its entire
~ by the rail-. Dads and the manuTaC-
turers." said Edmund Paterson, OF
Paterson Bros & Co. well-known real
estate dealers. The mayors idea Is
good one, and hope the plan goes
through"
The mayor will have the unanimous
support of the motor enthusiasts, who
hope to see the drive extended be-
yond Fort Wayne to Wyandotte and
Trenton, in time,
Under the ordinance creating the
city plan and improvement commits
sion, IL will be necessary to submit
the park and boulevard plans TO the
commission for It's approval. There
seems TO be no question however.
about the members supporting the
plan, with some notifications, per
hans The plan would not necessarily
interfere with the carrying out Of the
suggestion made by Architects Burn
ham and Bennett, of Chicago, for
raised boulevard along the waite:
front
The following from James Inglis, OF
the American Blower Co. is a speci-
men of the letters OF congratulation
the mayor is receiving:
Your action in connection with
the proposed park on the river.
near Fort Wayne, was splendid.
Nav this but prove the beginning
of a movement which will pro-
vide parks for the coming genera
tions Detroit should spend at
least 81 100000 in the next two
years In acquiring lands in the
various parts of the city for park
purposes. Practically nothing
along that line has been done for
% years, and wonder If you can
not see it that way and push the
good work along
We get to relY-too much on
Belle Isle AS the city grows, il
becomes more inaccessible TO the
people who need II most, and
eventually we shall have TO have
more parks The parsimonious
policy Of the city during recent
years in this regard is going TO
prove very costly in the end. In
the interest of economy, action
along the above lines should be
taken
We are under the greatest obi
cations 10 you for the start made,
and will hope for big things in
the way OF parks under your adj
ministration | remain
Yours very respectfully.