The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-12-20
Developments Late in Week
Put Question Foremost Al
Business Circles.
LOCATION AT EIGHTH
AND MAIN IS FAVORED.
Banking Interests have Pet
ton for Eleventh and Main
Before McAdoo- Business in
Richmond Improving.

While dealing on the real estate
market during the week continued
active. with uu,aacous small sales be
Ing recorded at me demand ~
residence properties holding good.
realty mon bankers. other business
aud professional men ana owners of
property in the Main street business
district found the chief topic claiming
their attention to bo the postoffice sit.
Z location problem. Developments IN
the postotiice situation which np
peared during the week were the re-
port from Washington that depar t-
nent inspectors would probably rec
ommend the Eighth and Main streets
site. and the action of the Board ae
Directors Of the Chamber of Com
merce approving the petition of the
banking interests urging that the
memorial Of the chamber of January
Ia. last. he given consideration in tho
selecting Of the postotfice site. This
4 memorial was in advocacy of the pur-
chase of property at Eleventh pn6
Main streets, adjoining the Federal
building on the east.
! Both developed on tho Same day
and within n few hours of each otler
il has been the impression OF many
that the appropriation made at the
last session ,of Congress may be APP
piled only TO the purchase OF the
Eleventh street property, but this Is
declared to he erroneous by those
familiar with the provisions OF the
appropriation bill. They point to the
clause in tho measure which provides
that tho appropriation may be ex-
pended for another site should ons
! be deemed more available for post
Office purposes.
! Favor Eighth and Main.
Experts from Washington. insr &c
tors in both the Pastofiicse and Trcas
urv departments. have been In Rich
moud studying the situation. and
though ths contents of their report
| has not been made public, it Is un
derstood that they recommend the
| acquiring OF property fronting 13e
| feet on Main, 330 feet on Eighth, and
j.. so feet on Cary street, for the rur-
| pose of erecting thereon a building
10 he devoted exclusively to the post
| office requirements. leaving the pres
/ ent post Office building at Tenth and
/ Main TO be occupied by other branches
| of the governments business in Rich
| mond, which. since tho income tax
4 and the emergency war tax measures
have become effective. have made
great demands upon the buildings
capacity. This IS in addition to the
/
office now serving population of
more tyhan $4,000, and the valiime
Of parcel post business handled. This
postotfice has outgrown it's quarters
on the ground floor. part of the sec
ond floor and the basement floor, ana
more space il imperative.
The present postoffice business Il SO
great that capacity of the space avail
able is overtaxed, and when times OF
rush, such as the holiday season.
come. it becomes necessary to rent
outside room. as is the case now
/ with the parcel post quarters now ON
/ Cary street The basement of the
Federal building is entirely without
natural light, and natural light on
! the ground floor Is insufficient, Que
to the fact that the rear end OF II II
/ below the level of Bank Street. Arti.
fetal light must be depended upon
every hour in the day, and men I'm
the postal service in Richmond after
| a few months find the eyestrain inn
posed by the conditions is so serious
that glasses must be resorted to.
Argument ON Both Sides.
+ The purchase of the property a.
! Eleventh and Main, on which It has
been proposed to erect an addition
/ to the Federal building to give mora
room for the postal business. argue
advocates OF the Eighth and Main
site, would give so comparatively lit
/ tie additional space to the postofiice
| that. with Richmond continuing ia
grow at its present rate 1t would be
necessary In couple of years OF 80
I to again look for larger quarters.
/ On the other hand, should the
property at Eighth and Main. rum
ming back TO Cary street, be acquired.
! il Is cAntended the city WILL have npnn-
/ this block a handsome and very orna-
mental building of the type now ap.
proved by the Postoffice Department.,
and one large enough to meet this
needs of the city of Richmond for
many years.
| Those who are continuing the effort
| to have the Eleventh and Main Streets
site chosen express the belief that an
addition on this ground TO the pres
ent Federal building will give ample
room for the carrying on of the postal
business in Richmond. 1t Ii also
argued by them that the removal Of
| the postoffice from its present loca-
ton will detraot from the value Of
surrounding property. Banking and
| business interests, through the Cham
Der of Commerce. have placed their
contentious before the Treasury de-
partment in the memorial OF several
months ago, which was last week re-
called to the attention Of Secretary
McAdoo.
| Million Dollar Building.
| The area OF the space favored ~
government experts is--after cutting
toff maximum OF thirty feet flor ARA
way on the west side of the proc
posed building 900 square feet.
giving the building. with two street
levels, $1,000 square feet Of floor
space. a
The building contemplated would
/