New-York tribune., 1912-02-25
INCREASE IN MANHATTAN BUILDING
More than One Hundred Structures the Cost OF Which Will Be
About S1O0O0,OOO Planned This Year.
HOME AND BUSINESS DISTRICTS TO BE MUCH ENLARGED

,,.,bsttan builders expect 10 have much
work TO do the coming spring than
,nev had last spring.
All present conditions indicate that this
hone will become a reality
7, Is years since such spirit OF optim-
-, has got into every nook and Granny OF
49, construction field. Individuals and
obstruction companies, which have had
80, large contracts or have not launched
.o- their own account many big projects
-t,.o the stringent money days of 1907, will
=, rrominent this year in adding to the
.ovahIe area of old New York.
rrbcra we're several Office building projects
,or which plans were filed in January and
r.bruary. 1911, which made the estimated
so,. of construction work submitted to the
NJo,battan Buildings Department in those
80 months exceed the 100000 mark.
THOSE were unusually large undertakings,
,d we're designed TO meet special and
rot an ordinary general need in one OF the
h,,,,dine lines. Without them, the struct-
,,,ol record Of January and February, 1911,
,,o,,,d have shown vast decreases from the
totaIs Of construction tasks planned IN the
erst two months Of the previous year. In
other words those building statistics TOT
January and February 1911, were not a
true gauge as TO the activity Of builders
Rut the number and the character OF the
mans filed since January are reliable
guides to building vigor
So far this year plans for ll5 structures
have pen filed, with a total estimated cost
~ considerably more than 100000. For
the similar period last year eighty-one
structures were projected. The ratio OF
hu,Iding increase this year is not only
goine 10 he maintained, but will grow iars-
os the wear gets older. Therefore by
Nav both the number and cost OF ne"
b,,nd,ngs in Manhattan will surpass tha'
tor the corresponding period OF last year.
unless unforeseen obstacles should arse.
Most wears are marked down in realty
annals as dull building years Wheh I"e
majority of speculative builders are not
carving out their own plans, The eHcep-
t,ons 70 that method of reckoning wouIo
% course he when the special needs OF
business were so numerous and so pressing
that the larger part of the work Of putting
-, re,, homes for wholesale or retail ousi-
,1ass houses was done by the concerns them
selves.
FOR such a campaign Of building opera
tiops the expert service Of nearly every
bq contracting construction company
wouId be required as we'll as scores OF
speculative building companies. Even
,,nder sucb conditions It is seldom that the
toteI NJ building expenditures reach record
proportions. e-.-,u,,,,o
In the last three years many hourlsIlils 3
end we'll known trade houses have had
fnr
Their old places of business were too small
or too remote from the new business cen
tres. Their sales In that time did not war
rant a vast outlay for spacious oulldlhs
for their occupancy in a location near or
nearer to the principal midtown transit
routes, but they had prepared in generous
business years for modern quarters lot
themselves and also for meeting the imam
ciaI exigencies when the profits from sales
are less than the cost Of doing business.
BY changing their place Of business and
particularly by erecting new structures on
their new sites. these concerns turned mill
ions into building channels, and together
with the work of speculative builders IN
Fourth and Madison avenues and many
other midtown sections. and also in the
hotel and residential centres, made old
New York put on fairly large modern
garb In oft building years
The happiest days in the realty market
are when there is plenty OF work and big
opportunities for all kinds Of speculative
builders. and when brokerage commissions
OF good size can be quickly obtained by
the energetic. Improvement in all spheres
Of the market is most noticeable ard, truly,
it seems as If the advance guard Of pros
perity for builders and brokers is here al
ready.
There is a diversity Of building projects
launched since January. Among the moie
important plans are four Office and loft
buildings TO cost $l,95O0o0, nine lofts 10
cost 100000 and twenty hathouses to
cost $l,4s5,O6O.
For five theatres slll5,OOJ is TO be spent
and for four apartment houses $5O5,OcO.