New-York tribune., 1911-11-30
TO PICK COURTHOUSE SITE
Decision Expected Within a
Short Time, MCAneny Says.
THREE CONFERENCES HELD
Selection Narrows Down to One
of Four or Five Localities
Courts Need More Room.

Justices Of the Supreme Court and law
yers who are channg over the long DELAYS
in securing a new courthouse will be glad
to learn that the Board of Estimate COM
mittee is goinS TO take up the selec' on OF
a site I'm a vigorous manner next week 'nd
that within a short time a decision should
hc reached.
1T must not he thought that no progress
has been made" said Borough President
McAneny. who. with Controller Prendergast
and President Mitchell Of the Board Of Al
derYnen IS one Of the special committee ot
the Board Of Estimate. yesterday. since
the passage Of the Stnwen h!ll which gives
the Board Of Estimate six months I'm which
to select site. we have had three confer
ences on tho subject
These conferences have been attended
by the members Of the committee. Judge
Morgan j. O'Rrlen. chairman OF tho
Courthouse Commission: Grant Ia Fargo,
representing tho New York Chapter OF the
American Institute of Architects; Job
Hedges representing various civic bodies;
A. s Bard OF tho Bar Association, and
John Dewitt Warner Of the New York
County Lawyers Association.
while / cannot say that we have
rCaCncu tentative agreement vi ~ ''N''
wo have got 70 far as to reduce the selec-
ton TO one of four or five sites between
Canal and chambers streets and east OF
broadway There are many considerations
10 be thought Of. and the problem requires
the most careful treatment
"Our committee OF the Board Of Estimate
is the same that had charge of the budget
and we MANNED to devote our time 10 Tho
q hn - a
out Of tho way. Since that time. however
Controller Prcndergast has been In the
South. attending tho bankers convention.
Ho returned to-day and We arc going to get
right down 10 business on the site next
week We expect to have some results Tor
the public soon"
President McAneny said that the archi-
tects who are interested In the new build
ing from a professional point OF view had
gone so far as 10 make landscape maps OF
tho sites under consideration. which nave
becn OF the greatest assistance In Weighing
the advantages OF the various plots oi
ground.
The Board OF Estimate has. under the
stuwen bill. six months from october J. IN
which to select site. but they have no
iutcntsn OF taking advantage OF the eK-
tended time. After the special committee
has reported 10 the board the matter OK
securing the property must be taken before
tho Sinking Fund Commission. IL ls
thought probable that the property selected
win have 10 be acquired by condemnation
ne the area under consideration Is so linz
tied that Il would he impossible to get the
property at private sale AT anything ike
fair prices.
The work OF selecting a design for the
new building will fall 10 the Courthouse
Commission This will take some time ana
unless the site IS selected soon 1t may oe
another year before ground can be orokeh
Tor the new building. In the meantime
work Of the Supreme Court is being more
and more hampered for lack OF suitable
quarters The justices hardly know where
IN make room for Henry u. Hotchlass' VINO
ON January Will take his seat as an addi-
uonal justice.