The Hawaiian gazette., 1911-10-13
Condemnation Suits Stop 10 Give
Civic Center Advocates
Chance to Appeal.
COMPLICATIONS REMOVE D
Opportunity "City Beautiful" Pc
titiOners Ask for Is Granted
Them.
[From wednesday,s Adverliser.l }

II
Those who have been advocating the
purchase of the Irwin property on
Palace Square for site for the pro
posed federal building, in preference to
having the condemnation suit proceed
for the purchase of the Fort street ex'
tension of the Mahuka site have won
out in Washington to the extent OF
having the whole matter of the fed
eral building site delayed until after
the opening of congress, when the ad'
vocates of the "Civic Center" will be
given the opportunity of presenting
their ideas before the house and senate
committees on public buildings.
This word was received yesterday
from Washington and this announce
ment will come with great deal OF
satisfaction to the thousands in Ho'
uolulu who have believed that mis-
take was being made in sacrificing the
opportunity presented for establishing
the civic center, at the same time re-
claiming one block from tenement
shack uses.
According to the advices of The Ad
vertiser, action on the condemnation
suits is to be suspended and the handi
CAP under which the civic center ad
vocates have been oontendlng-
fact that the government had already
secured title to portion of the Ma
huka site and was in process of secur
ing the required extension-is removed
So far as the site is now concerned, i
in to be discussed as though no SIT
or norton of a site had been decided
upon or secured. So far as the matte
now affects congress, the two favoret
sites are to be discussed on their merit
from the building, the practical an
the modern "City Beautiful" point
of view.
This is all that the civIe site pai
tisans have asked, believing that froi
avery point of view except that
temporary expediency the PaiaC
Suuare site is the best, while their az
Voeacv of this site will be warmly O.
dorsed by the architects selected
prepare the plans for the Honolulu re-
eral building.
Means No Delay.
The fact that the matter of si'
il TO come before the congressioni
committees need not necessarily mea
any deplay in the start of actual wor
upon the building. 1t has been 7
garded as practically certain that II
result of any condemnation suit pres
ed against the property wanted on Fo
street would be to fix a valuation iupc
that property in excess of the appr
priatlon, when congress would have hi
to be appealed to to appropriate III
ther to complete the site As Z
amount for the extension was tax
from the amount set aside for
building, the result of a change W
mean, probably, finer building on
better site.
AS matters stand now, the civic ee
ter advocates may be heard and
their reasoning is approved, the Nah
ka site may be sold and the procee
applied upon the purchase of the lrw
site, including probably the Ope
House site No controversial conde
nation suit need be expected in sect
ing the Opera House site and the bio
in which it is, upon which no 9th
building of any consequence stan'
Money would be saved through the {
change, while the various firms nC
located on the Fort street extension
the Mahuka site would not be j
turbed.