The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1913-11-15
investments Are
Pouring Into
Richmond

structures. for the residents must
live, they must have convenient
stores and markets from which to
buy their food There must be Office
{ buildings to house the professional
men that established themselves. In
San Francisco businesses were scat
tered here and there in the early days
until eventually, in the most natural
Z manner, a business center grew at
kearny and Market streets, around
( which revolved all the big business of
. the city. And so it was with Rich
4 mond In the last few years, and the
+ last year especially. the business of
. the city has centered itself on and
around Twenty-third and Macdonald
f avenues. and today this wide thor
; oughfare is the hub of Richmond.
New buildings have been erected and
permits have been let for many 9TH
/. ers, which, together with those that
s are contemplated for the immediate
4 future, assure business center quite
as metropolitan as that of cities many
L
velopment of Richmond's new bust
ness district has been so rapid and
realty values have risen so rapidly
that fortunes have been made in what
one might say day
Probably the most interesting fea-
ture of Richmond's great develop
ment is the establishment of its new
business district. There can be only
one business center, which in every
city in the United States has been
formed along certain, positive lines.
Market, Kearny and Third streets,
forming the busiest corner in San
Francisco, are the outcome of this
certain infallibie movement of the
business houses, although years ago
most all the business was conducted
on and around Clay and Jackson
streets. Sacramento street and the
water front.
is LIKE OAKLAND
The same is true of Oakland. While
the main business portion was for
merly below Seventh street and
Broadway, expansion forced the BUSH
ness TO San Pablo avenue and Broad
way. so that the business center of
Oakland moved up the same as in San
4 Francisco. What the corner of Kearny
and Market streets is TO San Fran
cisco, San Pablo avenue and Broad
way TO Oakland. Macdonald avenue
and Twenty third street is to Rich
mond. This is only natural. for all
business centers follow the lines of
least resistance, and in Richmonds
Z new business center is formed the
hub around which the principal bust
ness of the whole community re-
wolves.
This fine business street. which a
flew years ago was nothing more than
grazing land. has developed to point
that has made fortunes for those
fortunate enough to have holdings on
or in the immediate neighborhood of
this thoroughfare. An example of
the opportunity for investment is
contained in the story of one woman
Z investor. This woman. who is now
worth more than 100000, purchased
a few years ago the lot where Burg
1 Brothers office now stands, adjoining
+ the MISUNDERSTANDING tract. The
f first payment made on the lot was
only a few dollars. and before it was
fhalf paid for the property had in
fcreased many times in value. Sur
.prised at the increase in SO short a
,ltime, and feeling that the property
lhad at least reached its top value,
s'this woman came TO E. ]. Burg on
: several occasions and asked his COM
his advice she retained the property
land soon she was enabled to borrow
1.-THE money on the lot to erect the
present large building The building
inow yields an annual rental of $4,000.
giving her an income of nearly four
ltimeS the amount Of her original in
ivestnent. Recently she refused an
offer of $4,000. And it seems more
than probable that the value of this
block will increase until its worth
is written in six figures. for Mac
donald avenue and Twenty third
street are just entering upon the era
Sof their greatest development. And if
past facts and figures are any cri-
fterion, the future of this busy street
rs greater by far than people believe.
MANY NEW BUILDINGS
In addition to a $4,000 theater and
office building, four story hotel and
store building, there are numerous
.other large structures nearing com
.pletion and the many building permits
that have been let in the last few
weeks indicate that the building ac-
,tivity Of a few months past was moth
ing compared to what the next 80 DAYS
will show. 1t seems that local capital
and outside lots owners were deter
mined at last to meet the demand for
homes that seems to always keep
ahead of the building. Already this
year the total far exceeds that of last
year and the activity appears still to
be in its infancy.
Two prominent San Francisco con-
tractors. after careful investigation
of conditions in San Francisco. oak
land and Richmond, secured 90 lots in