New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-09-29
MIDTOWN MOST ACTIVE
Report of Buildings Bureau for
1911 Reveals That Fact.
MORE FIREPROOFING USED
Average Annual Cost Of Man.
haitian Work in Last 10 Years
Nearly S1Os, 100000.
MORE FIREPROOFING USED

Borough President McAneny has re-
ceived the annual report for 1911 Of the
operations Of the Bureau OF Buildings OF
Manhattan. Besides a statement OF the
operations for the year 1911 the report
reviews the work OF the bureau for the
last ten years. inasmuch as the close Of
the Year 1911 completes the first decade
Of the Bureau Of Buildings as an indie
pendent department for the borough.
Previous 70 1902 the records OF Manhat
tan and The Bronx were kept together.
but since that time they have been kept
separately.
The average estimated cost OF all build
ing operations for each year during tho
decade was nearly sios.g0G0, varying
from about sS4,00o.O00 IN 1901 60 Ni,000,0Q)
IN 1909. The operations for 1911 were sll,-
90, 01o-somewhat over the average. The
report indicates q slight increase IN
building operations in 1911 over 1910.
In an interesting set OF tables As 20
character Of construction, II is shown that
freproof buildings in the Borough OF
Manhattan are on tho increase. In the
year 1911 80 per cent OF the proposed new
buildings were TO be Of hreproof con-
struction, an increase OF nearly % per
cent over 1910.
II is also pointed out that the section
OF greatest activity IN the building opera
tons lies between ed and 6sth streets, in
which more than one-Guarter Of the build
ing operations were carried on. About
60 per cent OF the new buildings within
this section were OF freproof construc-
ton.
In a set OF diagrams is shown how the
building operations have varied by months
during the last ten years. II Is inter
esting 10 note with what regularity the
alterations particularly increase each
year. until they reach O maximum about
August /, and then decrease 20 a mini
mum in the early part OF the following
year
Previous 10 1907, new buildings in course
of construction were of n greater num-
Der than buildings undergoing altera-
tons since 1897 that condition has been
reversed, and alterations have outnum-
bercd the new buildings.
A period Of very marked activity is
indicated in 1895 and 1906, due undoubtedly
to tho completion of the subway In 1904.
This activity is shown 10 be greatest in
the section OF the city above 10th street.
In tho 1919 report, attention was called
10 tho fact that the number Of places OF
amusement proposed ,i0 was about the
same as private dwellings i3,. The COM
parisou for 1911 is even mo.c remark1hl5.
since the proposed places OF amusement
Ci2 are nearly double the private dwell
ings (35,. Tle large increases Of places
OF amusement Is undoubtedly due 10 the
OF the motion picture theatres.
Tables are given showing the new build
ings for 1911 arranged and classified by
story heights. Of the iij new buildings
proposed in 1911, - were % he OYER twelve
stories in height, $ were to be twelve
stories in height 10 six stories in height !
and lg2 one story IN height. the rest OF
them varying from two 10 eleven stories. !
\ little less than oUe-half of the build !
ings were intended for business purposes, |
and of these more than one-hait were 10 /
be fireproof The favorite height of the !
business building seems 10 90 twelve |
stories, except that there arr many ono I,
story buildings 10 be constructed for that /
purpose also, these latter Including the So
called taxpayers"
The cost OF buildings has changed con- |
sderably I'm the last ten years. At the |
present time the new buildings IRE much !
less in number than in past years, but !
the average cost is much greater. The |
average cost for building for the last four !