The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-06-28
Civic centre project for Seattle.

| posed civic centre. particularly when
circular court house forms a link IN u.
group of buildings comprising the Give
centre.
Although some $1,000 900 has been
spent already for the purchasing II
property and some sl.500.0 600 j. needed
for additional property this sum is a
comparatively small amount in view u
the total cost Of the several buildings
which will eventually comprise me pro.
posed civic centre. and there is s,.l. lime
TO select a more suitable location.
| All the buildings previously man.
toned. the Public Library. the Penusyl.
vania Station. the post Office hidden DE.
hind the railroad station and the new
Municipal Building. have been deye..
oped. as is the case with the present
Court House building, as individual
structures. and not as units harm,nz.
ing with the rest of the buildings
OF late much has been said Of civic
centres and city planning. so tina the
gentlemen responsil lie for the planning
| OF such structure as the round cour:
house and its location have had an op-
| portunity to consider the basic pr.nc.-
Piles of city planning and what is mean:
by the term civic centre. The proposed
court house at its present loca ton can.
not make a civic centre.
/ ! therefore suggest before the pro-
posed site for this building is approved
| that proper great ground plans Ne
drawn up showing the relation OF the
various buildings to each other and the
main streets leading toward H. 81 a.
TO establish a comprehensive unit sys-
TEN instead Of producing. as has been
| In the past, a masterpiece of piecemell
| work.
| 1t Is my opinion that a location north
OF Chambers street is much more pref
cradle and in order to secure adequate
| space for the various executive build
ings the two blocks between Chambers
and Duane streets and Broadway AMI
Centre street would be an ideal l5rl-
ton. for the reason that with the .e-
moval OF the present Post Office the ID
City Hall would form a focal point from
lower Broadway and the City Hall Park
would act as forecourt for the other
executive buildings north Of Chambers
| street.
The Hall of Records could be balanced
by suitable building at Broadwav ami
Chambers street. The buildings N
Chambers street should he OF lower con-
struction than those located between
Reade and Duane streets. All munJ.-
pal offices could be accommodated In
1 the area proposed. and the floor space
! required could be regulated by the
height Of the buildings. The Mun.cpl
| Building could be balanced as We'll A.
circumstances allowed by a slim a"
| structure on the east side of Broadway
| ana Chambers street and II such a
| structure is not desired tall mpnu-
mental pillar, such as a Lincoln M.
| mortal forming a terminal of thr pro-
posed Lincoln highway across thu cons
| tnent from San Francisco TO New York
could be located in the northwe>, cor.
ner Of City Hall Park
The site for the round county cour'
house will cost about $500 900 W. I.
accommodates but one building ana
what Is worse, It never will form a part
OF comprehensive civic centre. Will
the property selected for my plan Will
cost approximately $50 900 900. How
| ever. the arrangement Of the buildings
Is such that 1t forms a unit, which j. me-
fundamental principle of a civic centre.
II accommodates five new structures
which are required for future genera
tons. All these buildings do not need
to be built at once. At present ~
| sHoulu lay DOWN pan, atter winch 10.
whole project could be developed grad
ually and Systematically in order u.'.-
mately to possess a comprehensive Give
| centre.
All traffic passing at present thr'p-l
the arcade OF the Municipal Bui,dn-
should pass around 1t. then thr'HI.
| Duane street. Thus traffic instead D..
passing through the civic centre "'Hi
be done away with. Further, as s'i'
gestion, the loops OF the street raIlW'N'
to and from the East Side at the june,
ton Of Park Row and Broadway SA'i.I
be removed. as they are a contnN IT'S
danger to life and limb and bloc" ~
addition not only their own but ais d.
vehicular traffic. As the accompanF'Nt
plan shows. great Improvement r'.'
be had by arranging loop around IT,
southern section Of City Hall Park I''
diagram as matter Of simplicity 5 W.
but single tracks. while In fact '.'''
are double tracks on all streets.
The prominent structures at the N'..
of Chambers street and bd.aN''"7
structure for the new Municipal linz
ing. with the City Hall in front ana
prominent fountain or geySer III 10"
middle of City Hall Park, sElh'o"@'"7
our new city water supply y
would form unique and !d'1' "''
centre appropriate 70 our sNls''"'.
city.