Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-04-30
GIANT HOSTELRY
HERE UNDERGOES
CHANGE OF SITE
The Lafayette Is Now Sched-
uled TO Rise at Broad and
LOmbardy.
COMPANY LOSES OPTION
ON LAFAYETTE ST. PLOT
New Location Will Give Hos
telry 141 by 235 Foot
Dimensions.

After several months OF silence the
Hotel Lafayette Company has sprung
into the limelight again with an
amended charter. new plans and a
sketch of a very imposing hotel
structure.
The site originally selected for the
location of the hotel, at Lafayette
and Broad streets, has been aban-
doned i'm favor of the entire block on
the corner of Lombardy and Broad
streets. This change was made, one
of the promoters said today because
the neghborhood of Lafayette street
was not suited to high class hos
telry such as the Lafayette is
planned to he.
Last December the hotel company
announced with big headlines and an
impressive picture that it was going
to build hotel of which Newark
could we'll be proud"
That was the last that had been
heard of the venture. The various
directors in this city were visited
but no information could be learned
of what progress was being made.
An Office was rented on the tenth
floor of the Union building. and a
stenographer was installed there to
assist George e. Avery, of New York,
who was to be general manager OF
the hotel.
After a month or so that office was
given up and the only information
that could be secured was the state
ment that Mr.. Avery was working in
New York with big capitalists there
interesting them In the proposition
Judge Lambert One Of the Promoters.
The registered office of the COM
pany. according to the charter is the
office of Judge c. II. Lambert in the
Union building. Judge Lambert is
one of the heaviest promoters and is
now the only local man in touch with
the new plans.
lie told star reporter today that
the delay in launching the hote'
scheme wasgcaused by the Wilklnson-
Gaddis firm. who refused to extend
for thirty days the options held on
the Lafayette and Broad street prop
erty.
"Our charter was delayed" the
judge said, 'and thus we were not
ready to take, over our option when
1t expired A renewal was refused
us at any price, and we were obliged
to forfeit the $1,000 we had paid for
the option.
THAT discouraged us for while
until we found out that the LON
hardy site was available. Then we
seized that eagerly. realizing the
many advantages that site possessed
over the original loci lion. II Is ideal
we think, for our purpose. The park
being directly opposite, will add
greatly to its attraetiveness"
E. A. Wilkinson, of the firm Of VIII
lNinson, Gaddis & Co. today denied
that his firm refused to extend the
option.
I'VE postponed the option a number
of times at their request" said he to-
day.
Apparently. there was no capital
available to the hotel company and
to protect our interests and to retain
our tenants we had TO close the mat
ter up.
Couldn't Continue Option"
ION the basis which they were deal
| ing, it would be a question of con
tinuing the option indefinitely. and
our tenants kept demanding an un-
derstanding, SO naturally. we took
steps to protect ourselves
The new site proposed for the hote
has a frontage of l41 feet on Broad
J street, and runs along Lombardy
street to Atlantic street and over At
lantic street 146 feet. The LombardS
street side Is 235 feet long.
! According to the present plans the
! hotel will cover the whole plot A
! banquet hall is provided for which
can be thrown open into a palm room
capab BILE of seating both together up
wards of a thousand people. In addl-
| ton there will be a large grill room
cafe and business mems dining-room
| The upper floors are practically the
same as the old plans provided with
every room opening into a bathroom
The building will be erected by the
Hotel Lafayette Company, and a sec
ond corporation will be formed tc
conduct the business.
The conducting corporation will be
composed mostly of the men inter
ested in the General Hotels Corpora
! ton of New York.
The proposition just now still is
in allegiance. according to Judge
Lambert Several big fnaneiers in
New York have Eecome interested in
the proposition and as soon as some
agreement is reached the title to the
property will be secured and con.
tracts for the razing of the present
| buildings awarded.
/