Newark evening star and Newark advertiser., 1915-12-03
SITE SELECTED
FOR MEMORIAL
CITY BUILDING
Broad and Camp Streets, OPP
Posite Lincoln Park, Is FL
nal Choice.
AflNOU OUNcEMENT IS MADE
BY COMMITTEE OF 100
Site Includes Sayre Home, Or.
Ward and Kinney Prop
critics.

Announcement was made this after
noon that the Municipal Memorial
building will be erected on the south
cast corner of Broad and Camp
streets. The Memorial committee of
the Committee of One Hundred has
decided to purchase a tract there with
2S5 feet frontage and depth of 200
feet. The price is $2s5.00o.
The property Is now owned by the
estate of Joseph R.. Sayre. jr.. DIR.
Leslie D. Ward and William B. Kin
ney.
Several sites were considered, but
the committee decided that Broad
street would be the most desirable.
The plot faces, Lincoln Park and the
cost is approximately $1,000 per front
foot
The formal announcement by the
committee says:
''The memorial building committee
have agreed to purchase the site on
the corner Of Camp and Broad streets,
consisting of the properties owned by
the estates of James r. Sayre, jr..
and DR.. Leslie d. Ward and the prop
erty of William B. kinney
The plot has a frontage of 2S5 feet
on Broad street, facing Lincoln Park,
and extends 200 feet to an alley in the
rear. The price to be paid is $685.,
900. or $1,000 front foot for property
200 feet deep.
From the time of the passage of
the bill by the Legislature last win
ter the members of the committee
have examined with care the various
pieces of property available for their
purpose. Some have suggested that
the building be put in Branch Brook
Park The committee felt that that
was too inaccessible. and that il
should be located on Broad street, or
very near Broad street, so that the
greatest number of our people should
be able easily to reach the museum.
In sohrt, their attention has been
mainly confined to various properties
ON Broad street
South End Claims. :.
From the beginning they have had
Tthe claims of the southern part of the
city strongly presented, because Of
at susnost Of the important
public buildings, alt indeed, except
the City Halll are north OF Market
street, and they were inS de to see
that 1t was the desire Of the large
population south Of Market street
that 1t should be favored in the loca-
tion Of the new building especially
as the center of population is said to
be at the corner of Kinney and
Washington streets. Although 1t is
fair to say that this was not the con-
trolling reason which decided the
committee.
"In addition to the matters of con-
yenience and prominence arose the
questions of size and of price. The
committee felt that it Was important
that sufficient amount of ground
should be purchased to provide not
only for the present needs of the
building, but for probable future ex-
pansion. And the price was most inn
portant. When they came to regard
properties in the northern part of the
city they were met with prices OF So
600, $500 and $4,000 and more per
front foot.
ut is the feeling of the committee
that it is in every way desirable that
the land and building should be COM
pleted at a cost not to exceed $1.600.-
900. and because of this feeling. in
which they think they will be sup
ported by a majority of the people,
they felt that the price of the land
was found possible to secure the site
mentioned they felt that because of
its fortunate location. its accessible
ity to the people, its ample size and
its comparative cheapness, it was
easily the most desirable piece of
property available.
"It should be said that while the
committee have resolved to purchase
the Kinney property. there is some
question as to whether MFR. Kinney
is willing to sell. They hope, how
ever, to prevail upon him TO do so.
At the recent election the citizens
of Newark voted to authorize the is
suing of 81, 500,0 900 bonds for the erec-
tion of a building to commemorate
the city's anniversary The structure
will consist of an auditorium and
concert halls as well as accommoda-
ton for the Newark Museum
/ It is expected that the advent of
the Memorial Building will effect an
other change in the South Broad
street section. This district has been
residential for many years and still
contains a number of handsome dwell
inzs. The residence of DIR. Leslie d.
Ward was regarded as one of the
finest in Newark. 1t is close to the
residence of the late former United
States Senator John f. Dryden and
other men who were prominent in the
business or civic life of Newark.
In the event that the site selected
can be obtained at the price expected
it will allow s1,215,000 for the con-