The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-01-22
new CITY BUILDING A
FAILURE, IT'S FEARED
Public Service Commission COM
plains Of WOful Waste
Of space.
OFFICES TWO BLOCKS LONG
Mccall Has Plan for Separate
Home and Site on Which
to Build 1t.


70 SO Ear Yesterday "a to say that the
new Municipal Building is an utter fail
ure. several Of them agreed that the allot-
n,eHts oi space IN II are wasteful and that
the waste is necessary on account OF the
curious shape Of the plot. This Is what
Mayor Mi,chel bad TO say about it:
"The building was badly planned In Its
original conception and is largely IL waste
Of SPACE As now constructed
~ agree with the Mayor that the build
ing Was badly planpcd," said George Me-
Amen. President of the Board Of Alder
men The site was bad to begin with.
The methods of arranging space In II are
necessarily limited
The building as 1t stands is pitched
into the midst OF others with no consldera-
ton for symmetry or harmony But We
have the building and we have got to
make the best of it,
The occasion for the comments on the
citys new sl5.000.00o office building vas
= request from the Public Service Com
mission to be relieved OF the obligation to
occupy the two floors assigned 10 Il. Tho
application was delivered to the sinking
FUND Commission yesterday by Travis ii.
Whitney. secretary OF the commission.
Mr.. Whitney told the members of the
Sinking Fund Commission that nj present
its working force liz using $4,000 square
:eet Of floor space in the Tribune Building
and that the space allotted to II in the
Municipal Building measures $4,000
square feet.
Cannot House Force.
But" said Mr.. Whitney, despite the
Increase IN floor space We nnd We canno,
mouse the force now accommodated in the
Tribune Building"
In other words. the 1000 additional
square feet actually assigned to the COM
mission in the new building IL worse than
useless. The larger space accommodates
fewer men. The vast. is said TO be
typical Of the whole building.
Another count that the Public Service
Commission lays against the new build
ing is the fact that the Commissioners
will ind themselves two blocks away
from some of their working force. The
building is two blocks long. and as the
commission will have two complete floors
the arrangement of which requires pr!n-
cipal officers TO occupy remote wings. they
will find themselves separated BY "a hall
way two blocks long.
Wants Its own Butldtns.
knowing the inconvenience OF the ar
rangement Edward r.. Mccall chairman
Of the Public Service Commission. has
had his eye on plot Of ground at Centre
and Canal streets which the commission
had to buy at the time the Centre street
subway was being built. The title still
rests with the commission. IL Is Judge
McCall's idea that the commission should
occupy building constructed on that
site for its peculiar use.
Joseph p. Day. the real estate auc-
tioneer. has offered TO finance the project.
He has told Judge Mccall that he will
see TO the construction OF Il building paid
Cor with private capital and that the city
shall pay for space AT the rate Of so cents
A square foot II was on that offer that
Travis II. whitney, secretary of the COM
mission. wen, before the Sinking Fund
Commission.
NJ. Day agrees TO put up a building
which shall supply at least 100000 square
feet OF floor space 10 the commission. He
will buy the plot. and II he pays more
than the present upset price OF sl27.Ooo
ne will expect the city to pay interest
on the excess in addition to the SO cents
. foot annual rental.
Cost Practically Nothing.
Mr.. Whitney pointed out 10 the Sink
Ing Fund Commission that In addition u
tine money received for the plot and the
taxes wnich VIII accrue 'ioi,' - 'ens
brought pack on the TAX ro,'s 'he cry
will get the use of the building prac-
tcaliy Tor ho'hihs'
ms feature OF the pan hlhSes Oh
the fact that tne suowa! contracts en-
tered INTO last March pro,iue uhat Ieh.
Of quarters required for the force that
plans the subways ana superNises con.
strucuoh shai. DO charseu UP as par,
OF the cost OF construction Apout 10
per cent or the COMMISSION iorce Us
now engaged IN SUBWAY WORK so "a
per cent VI the rent OF tne new nuiiuins
would go INTO the general SUBWAY con-
struction account ana ultimately Wouih
be paid on from the proceeds OF the
subways
Ihe fupilc service commission II NOV
the only prospective tenant OF the Mu'
ricipal Bullding whicn mas opJecteh u
the allotment or space Inc street 'iean-
inC department ana the i'epar'ment o'