The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-06-01
BUILDING BOOM
BREAKS RECORDS.
May Permits Exceed Same
Month Last Year by
100 Per Cent.
MANY PLANS ARE PENDING
First Half OF. 1911 Likely to
Eclipse Total Record for
M Last Year.

. Il
Building operations in Richmond au-
thorized during the month of May
reached a grand total OF S559.35i, ac-
ccrding to statement Issued at the
;ose Of business Yesterday by Build :
ing Inspector II. p. Beck The report
shows an increase over the month of
May, 1910. of s2T5,S52. making the total
double that of the same period last
gar Although May permits reached
d total in excess of any month this
year. the prospect for June is even
better. as plans are already pending
In the office aggrega,ing more than
s65O.00o.
If plans already prepared and au-
thorizcd can be checked by the In
spector's office and the necessary per-
mts issued during the month OF June
there is prospect that the building
operations for The first six months of
1911 will exceed the entire year OF
1910. Notwithstanding the fact that
1910 broke all former records In the
history OF the city in the extent and
variety of building operations.
Reaches Lnrge Totnl.
New work authorized in May aggrc-
stated s4a1S1S: repairs and alterations.
s6l.5B6.. Large buildings authorized
were the Lyric Theatre. at Eighth aud
Grace Streets. to cost $4,000: the Rich
mond. Fredericksburg and Potomac
freight depot. to cost $4,000: the now
Asbury Place Methodist Church and
the Rountree stores. AS usual. brick
dwellings led the list. the total of
those authorized aggregating sl13.24o.
The average value of permits for ncw
work was seo5e3e The number OF
permits Issued was 1876: the number OF
examinations and reports on old build
ings l+6.
Nh nm ,al 1,-l
yet been authorized this year. al
though the total for the first five
months far exceeds the first Ave
months of 1910, when. In April. 1910.
the permit was Issued for the new
post office. costing, for building alone,
s6s0.o
Plans are now pending in the Office
Of the Building Inspector for the an
mex TO the Richmond Hotel. the APP
proNimate estimate on which is $3.50
900; the eleven story Hotel Reuger. the
approximate cost of which will be
S25o.000; the new Westminster Pres
hyterian Church, to cost $4,000: the
Standard Paper Company warehouse.
In South Richmond. and a number Of
lesser buildings.
Somc More to Come.
Plans. which have not yet been nled.
but which are known to be nearing
completion. include the new Chesa-
reake and Ohlo-First National Bank
skyscraper. the cost of which Will prob
ably exceed S650.0oo: the Life Insur-
ance Company of Virginia building.
which will be built In sections. and
the total cost of which has not been
fixed and the new stores to replace
Monticello Hall. as soon as Justice
reaches determination on
me case In his court. which followed
the condemnation of the old building.
Plans for the Confederate Memorial
chitects are working on drawings for
the new plant Of the r. a. Patterson
Tobacco Company.
y significant feature OF, the enor-
nous building boom in Richmond IS
the concentric movement. Six months
or year ago practically all the build
ing operations in the city under way
Or projected were in the West End
Every cross street and avenue in Lee
and Clay Wards had Its row of brick
residences under construction That
movement has not ceased but II has.
been outstripped in volume nv great
building enterprises in the centre OF
the city.
Capitol square the Centre.
Following hard on the announcement
OF the First National Bank OF its do
termination to erect a home for thc
Cnesapeake and Ohio general Offices. at
smith and Main Streets. came the an
nohncement of the Rueger plans. the
Hotel Richmond extension, and the
new building of the Life Insurance
Company OF Virginia. Counting the
new Lyric Theatre. already author
lied and the government post office.
now assuming shape, six of the larg
est building enterprises in the city
are locat ted within a block of the Capt
tol Square. MI.
I he American Terminal warehouso
cofrora tion closed the lease yesterday
for another big concrete warehouse
on Seventeenth Street. to be erected
as soon as plans can be completed and
lnspector Beck has been consulted
about preliminary drawings for a mum
ner or other buildings in various sec
tons of the city.