The Detroit times., 1912-08-12
CITY SHOULD NOT ACT
HASTILY ON REQUEST FOR
CLOSING PART OF CASS-AVE.
Asked to Give Up Property More
Valuable Than That Of
fered in Return
CADILLAC CO. WANTS LAND
Would Build Two Engine Houses
if Council Vacates Thor
oughfare

1t is rather complicated deal that
the Cadillac Motor Car Co. offers to
the city in connection with the pro.
posed closing OF Cass-ave, and II is
one which should be considered by
the city officials from a good many
angles before the right 10 use the
street Is given up. There are valu-
able rights OF one sort and another
involved that have not all been made
clear in the petition which has been
brought before the council
The closing OF Cass-ave., from Am
sterdam to Baltimore-aves. means
that the Cadillac company and the
Briscoe Manufacturing Co., which
owns the frontage on the east side
Of Cass-ave., between the railroad
tracks and Baltimore-ave, will get a
strip OF land, S0x450 feet, which can
be used for private purposes. While
the ultimate title to this land is real
ly in the two companies which own
the AUDITING property, the right-of-
way which the city owns over this
land is perpetual, and practically as
valuable as the actual ownership OF
the land.
Estimating the value of this land
at the same rate per square foot as
the adjoining property II is found TO
be worth s2l,0GU, and so far as the
Cadillac company and the Briscoe
company are concerned they are get
ting this land as an addition TO their
present holdings.
The Cadillac company, II the petit
ton be granted, will get the lot on
the nf CaC. anA do
ayes, now occupied by fire engine
house No. IT, This land has a front
age OF 20 feet on Cass-ave. and
depth OF 100 feet on Amsterdam. The
land is carried on the books in the
controllers Office for $1,000, which is
the price paid for the property in
1892. 1t Is estimated by real estate
dealers, however, that the price of
the property has not increased at all
during that time because 1t was
bought when the Cass farm region
was held at boom prices, and actual
values have just about reached those
prices with the growth Of the city.
The building occupied by the fire de-
partment cost $4,000 in 1893, and It
is carried at that figure in the inven-
tory of the city property though
there has probably been some depre-
citation. This makes the whole prop
erty worth $4,000 so far as the city
is concerned.
The total value OF the property
which the city is asked to give up,
therefore, is about $4,000.
Against this the city, 1t is proposed
shall receive two lots, and two en-
CINE houses, to be paid for by the
Cadillac company. One OF the lots Is
located on Piquette-ave., between
Woodward-ave. and John-R ST. This
lot has a frontage OF So feet, and its
worth is set at about $40 a foot. This
is considerably lower than the price
that has been paid for Piquette-ave
frontage by one of the large automo-
bile concerns, but II Is fair valua-
ton. This lot is, Therefore, worth
about $4,000.
The Second-ave. lot Is located on
the east side, between Antoinette and
York-aves., and has a frontage OF 80
feet on Second. This is estimated to
be worth $50 foot, making the lot
total $4,000. /
II is stipulated that the two en-
CINE houses shall cost not more tnan