The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-08-29
Building in
50Years to Go Up
at AID Street to
Be 20 Story Bank
andO
of Aston Trust Co.
.%..$350,000 Space
Reservedfor
and Air

The 81, 900, 900 site at the southeast
corner Of Fifth avenue and Forty-sccond
street is to he improved with a 81 .0OO,-
600 structure, part of which has been
leased at a rental Of several millions
Of dollars 10 the Aston trust Company
for a new home. II is n deal In which
million dollar items are not uncommon
factors. with million dollar items at
every turn Ii might be interesting TO
th"se who don1 know that the giant
structure projected for this expensive
corner will be erected without the aid
Of outside capital. Every penny that
will go to construct the twenty stories
OF stone. steel and brick that Will con-
stitute the Aston Trust Building. az 1t
will be known. will be supplied by the
Oceanic Investing Company, which, ac'
cording to gossip Of several years stand
Ing, In n combination of American and
British men Of wealth banded to Invest
tlrir surplus money in New York real
estate.
Not only will the building he without
o mortgage. but the site 1t Will stand on
has been without such n record since
the Oceanic company bought 1t the lat
ter part OF 1878 from Edwin Woln OF
philadelphia. In this respect If no other
the improvt ment Is one OF the most re-
markable operations that has been
DlhIlIltu u aN'Alu' ~ stAif Na''A''
Though the cost of the structure Is
placed at the million dollar mark that
docs not iaean that the AstOr Trust
Building Will not cost more. George Il.
Hite. Jr.. speaking for the Oceanic com-
pany the other day aid that II was
the ambition OF the members OF the
company to produce a building that
would be the finest In the section. which
f. particularly n section Of fine buildings.
m ,a1ntr 30 fall gfFttptrr.u hpNinU Igan
erected around the Public Library in the
last half dozen years. Mr.. Hitc has
given the impression hat Montague
F1agg I'd, who is designing the struc-
ture. is not compelled To keep the cost
of the structure within 100000. II
Mr.. F1agg thinks that the structure as
now projected can be improved by an
expenditure Of thousands of dollars the
money will be given.
The building will be built in the ltal-
ian renaissance style and will harmonic
with the Public Library opposite. which
Is considered by many to be one of
the finest public buildings In America.
Mr.. Flagg and the members OF tho
Oceanic company will do everything
to continue the idea begun several years
ago of creating n library colony, with
the library itself the dominating fea-
ture.
Indiana limestone OF n soft gray tint
will be used in the face of the big struc-
ture. Marble was considered at fgst.
but as the architects did not wisA 10
detract from the big marble library
building limestone was decided on. TIE
facade OF the first four floors of the
big structure. however. will practically
be plate glass. Arched windows sim
liar {. those in the Public Library will
be used in the three floors to be occu-
MAD nv the trust COmD1py Tore VVill
be three OF these windows on Fifth ave-
nue. and Ave on Forty-second street. Be
hind these windows will be a big open
space. n banking room finer than any
banking room, with the exec ption OF q
few in the Wall street zone.
The room will be thirty-ave feet h!g,
and well on to s~eventy-thrcc feet wild
and 100 feet deep. II will be about
eleven feet above the street level % FIT
avenue. The banking floor viii b.
reached from Fifth avenue by a specla