Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1914-11-15
RICHARDS ARGUES FOR
FIFTEENTH STREET
Urges City Council to Take Broad
81 Wow OF Big Develop
IS ment.
OUTLET TO NORTH AND WEST
Tunnel Under Broad Street Will Open
Up to Use Nearly Eighty Acres of
Valuable Property Now Cut or
From Main Thoroughfare.

From Main Thoroughfare.
With broad vision of the future de-
felopnent OF Richmond, Charles u.
Richards. formerly n member OF the
City Council, and Il factor I'm tho de-
yeiopment of the eastern part of the
city, has come out AS an advocate of
the Fifteenth street route as the proper
approach to Mayos Bridge. Taking
into consideration ultimate plans for
tunncllng under Broad Street and for
opening up the Shockoe Creek Valley.
Mr. Richards sees much greater ad-
Yantages In this plan than In that for
the widening. of Fourteenth from Main
to Cary, suggested by tho Street Com
mittee as the most direct way to the
bridge and as the best way Of solving
the problem OF congestion in that
vicinity.
Mr.. Richards said yesterday:
SHOULD TAKE ADVANTAGE
Of GREAT OPPORTUNITY
'"During the past few years Richmond
has made mighty strides along the road
OF progress, and recent annexation Of
territory has opened up a fleld for
the future, full of magnificent possibilf-
ties for making beautiful and useful
improvements, which Will greatly ia
cilltate tho transaction of business and
add thousands of dollars to the assessed
Valuations OF property. II Richmond Is
to reeeivesin the future the full benefits
of the opportunities now offered her
for improvements, then our city fathers
must act with wisdom and forethCught,
having I'm eye alone for the good and
welfare OF the city at large, and In all
matters of public improvements build.
not only for the present, but for our
future needs. One Of the greatest diff
dcuties that the business life OF Rich
inond has had to contend with in the
past has been it's heavy grades. but
now the opportunity presents itself to
eliminate this great obstacle by the
building OF boulevard, with u very
little grade from the heart OF tho
heavy business section OF the city to
our extreme western limits, over
which would pass All immense ttrafflc
with ease and comfort TO the teams
employed, besides being a great saving
TO our smooth-pavcd streets.
FOURTEENtFH STREET GIVES
NO NORTHERN OUTLET
IRON Fourteenth and Main, there
Is no outlet TO the western or north
ern part or the city except up steep
and almost inacccssible nils Tor
loaded teams. If the Fourteentli
Street route is decided upon 1t cannot
possibly have any direct connection
with any plan for the establishment
OF an easy grade. connecting tho
heavy business section of the city
with the West End or the recently
cutircd northern territory.
ION the other hand. what can be
said in favor OF the Fifteenth Street
route? In the first place, the prop
erty along Fifteenth street Is much
less valuable than that on Fourteenth,
which fact will be a saving to the city
on FIRST cost OF approximately $780,
900. Again. when II Is Remembered
that the city has already appropriated
100000 to arch over Shockoe Creek.
and contemplates In tho near future
the tunneling OF Broad Street OIL the
line Of Fifteenth street for the pur-
pose OF opening up the Shockoe Val
ley. containing an area or about
eighty acres, II can at once be seer
that the acquisition Of Fifteenth
Street by the city becomes an impor-
tant factor in grand scheme TO Sc
cure for Richmond magnificent bou-
levard, with an easy grade Tor heavy
traffic, connecting our extreme city
limits oil the Southside. with our ex-
IRENE western limits and at tho same
time furnishing nm, easy means OF ac-
cess by the road built over the
Shockoe Creek, when arched over, to
Barton Heights. Highland Park. Gin
ter Park and Chestnut Hin. the bal
nnce of tho recently annexed territory
on the north.
There is only one street In the city
of Richmond that can be logically
utilized to connect by an easy grade
the heavy business section of the city,
as we'll as the Southside, and that
Ii Fifteenth Street. 1t is the natural
connecting link TO the whole of our
western and northern territory. Again.
the selection OF Fifteenth Street. for
an approach TO the bridge offers TO
the city In the near future a consid-
cradle increase in taxable values, be-
cause if Fifteenth Street Is selected
1t tis a certain fact that ten new ware
houses Will be erected between Dock
and Cary Streets, to be ueed for COM
mcrctal purposes. besides the large
increase of assessed value of land In
Shockoe Valley. while on the other
hand. Fourteenth Street offers no ad-
ditIonal taxable values to the city.
because It is finished street. and
cannot by any possible means. owing
to physical conditions, ever be extend-l
ed beyond It's present limits. 1t Is
well-known fact that the city En-
gineer. who has given this matter n
great deal of thought. sees in the
under Broad, and along the Shockoe
Valley to our western limits, the only
solution of the problem which has
been such drawback to Richmond's
business interest In the past, and 1t
is to BIO hoped that members OF Coun-
ell, I'm considering this important
question, which Is of such vital inter-
est to the city's future, VIII consider
this question from the standpoint OF
the benefits to be derived by the city
at large. This is not question of
benefit to any man or any set OF men.
but should be considered only IN the
light of the public good for the com
Ing years"