New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-06-24
WOULD OPEN FOUR WEST
SIDE THOROUCHFARES
Ernest FIagg Proposes Plan to
Develop the Extension of
Seventh Avenue.
THE COST, S24,0O0,000
Civic Bodies Indorse Project,
Which Would Pay for Itself
in Increased Values,
Architect Believes.

nue.. ana lnCldentdUN MAKE II OF lntslL-
maby greater value TO the city, according
TO IT'S originator, has been Endorsed by a
number Of civic societies and is now before
the Mayor and the Borough President for
their consideration. Ernest Flag, archi-
tect Of the Singer Building, St Luke's Hos
pital. the Corcoran Art Gallery, az Wash
ington, and many other well known build
ings is its sponsor.
Mr. FlaCg's plan provides. I'm addition "a
what the Board Of Estimate intends q
accomplish. for the extension OF sixth ave
nue. to meet Narick street at Spring; the
widening of Bleeckor street between Chris
TOPPER street and Abingdon Square and its
connection with NarCk, TO furnish an ade-
quate outlet for Eighth and Ninth avenues
and the southerly extension Of Narick street
from West Broadway. where the present
plan leaves 1t. to Broadway at Park Place.
The four great longitudinal thoroughfares
OF the West Side. aggregating four hundred
feet in width will thus be opened up TO
through traffic Mr.. Flags believes.
The great trouble with the present
plan. the architect said yesterday. is
that 1t eats up a great deal of money and
accomplishes no good whatsoever. The OBJ
ject Of the whole affair is to provide a
southern outlet for Seventh avenue, and
the plan of the Board of Estimate merely
pours the traffic into West Broadway
which. on account of the elevated railroad
and poor paving. is sadly in need Of I'M
provcment itself. My plan brings the out
let down 10 Broadway and the Brooklyn
Bridge and opens zip three other avenues
besides TO through traffic.
we have at present in the city four
teen superb longitudinal avenues, only one
and a half Of which, however. are Of any
particular value, all the others being UNI
available for through traffic. Broadway
Of course, is the best, and Fifth avenue,
above its intersection with Broadway. pro-
yidcs the only other means Of continuous
transfer Third and Fourth avenues used
IN Inc available through their connection
with the Powerv and Park Row. but the
elevated has spojIed this means Of outlet
~, -, ,,-.;.,,u
T'00' " '''e
Tn. racaceity Of LONGITUDINAL thorough
- -, - -.,.., H.. tho
way in which the East Side had grown
49,, ,,r,,r 90 ,b, 11vopt of tho elevated
while the West sides development came
considerably later. Borough President Nc
Ancnv had sent hin. a letter. he remarked,
in which he commended the plan highly
but feared that the cost would be prO?ibi-
tive. Mr.. Flagg was Of the opinion that
the Board of Estimates plan would be
the one which would waste money.
ITO determine whether the cost is pro-
hibitive" Mr.. Flaeg explained, zone must
see whether the investment will pay. The
boards plan will cost a lot Of money and
will produce no appreciate increase I'm the
value Of adjacent real estate. Values follow
the line OF through traffic and If the new
boulevard Is built so that II Will he part Of
an uninterrupted artery from one end Of
the island 10 the other values OF the section
1t serves VIII multiply many ioId'
Mr.. McAnenN asked me II had mace
any estimate or the cost OF TINS improve
menl uont Know eNacuE now the! go
about such lnlnss' but nave taken lHe
lax list from the last Clty RECORD ana 're-
pared the following table:
TO cut sixth avenue 20 Narlck stree >iS3c "1g
10 WIDEN ysrick and Blocker streets
10 West blo@aTa W. 4'26'Oo.
RAW 20 rroadu.5y.....' ( oaG .ocC
..a,...-,-.c
% - -
pay ""o'' % -. ''oF
e:ty' Ct APPROXIMATELY E~4'y'''V' III pre-
VIE. we '", 81" '','.'''
coho'''''.''- u p'', "a NUS n'
pa,l '' !Io.''.l' ., ~. 40 ''' -, ~,
roI'''- ms " S'''','''' VI S'''2O'''y
.o..,... H.. ,.,o ID. 10 -. ,,.,
estate along the new street would increase
40 such 4 rate that the city would be able