The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-07-09
ROBING ROOMS IN
new COURT HOUSE
TAKE MUCH SPACE
souaring of Trial Chambers in
Round Building Another ,
Big Item.
MORE PROTESTS FILED:
NEW PLANS POSSIBLE

rur,her examination Of the blue print
,,,ns for the new county court house
Dis losed yesterday that each Judge
would have u private robing chamber
NJ a,proximately twenty by thirty feet
md that hundreds OF feet Of space would
10 lost TO make court rooms square and
M, conform to the lines of the round
building. as originally proposed. 1t Is
rot improbable that new plans will be
asked Tor TO eliminate the excessive cost
O, the structure.
The Real Estate Board of New York
has filed a protest against the accept
arce of the plans made 10y Guy Lowell.
who worked under the direction OF the
court house board. supreme Court
Justice Ford Is opposed to u change from
the present site. and Laurence NJ. ID.
Mcclure points out that the city may
become involved in enormous waste II
the Lowell plans are approved.
Although the matter is not on to-day's
calendar Of the Board of Estimate, II Is
expected that further discussion and OK
preston Of official opinion may develop
at the meeting. The bureau OF contract
supervision has prepared its report. but
this cannot come M officially except by
unanimous consent. and this IL doubtful
Mr. Mc.hneny is quoted as saying.
Asks for Public Hearing.
The Real Estate Board has asked
the Comptroller TO arrang a public
hearing before the adoption OF the report,
and the board will he represented at
to.day's Board of Estimate meeting to
again emphasize It's attitude.
Many suggestions for relief have been
made to the special committee made up
Of Mr.. McAneny. the Comptroller and
Borough President Pounds OF Brooklyn.
one is that the present City Court Build
ing in City Hall Park be demolished
and the county court house he enlarged
at a reasonable cost. Justice Ford so
EXPRESSED himself yesterday and pointed
GU, that when the plans were first sub
mitted for the approval of the Judges
they we're rejected because of the great
expenditures invol, ed. Further Justice
Ford wrote:
Personally. as a citizen. I am o.
rinion that there Is no Justification for
the enormous outlay contemplated. The
notion of monumental buildings which
seems to obsess the minds of those
charged with the duty OF furnishing
suitable accommodations for the courts
should he eliminated and common sense
substituted.
My idea is either to remodel the old
court house or to build a tasteful new
building of the skyscraper type in lis
pla at "A cost say OF $1,000. 900. By
building high YOU would sc, fresh all
ana Instance from street noises and
similar sources of disturbance"
ridden Adamson. who has flied a
series OF objections with the special
committee, would not discuss the
matter Yesterday. He is getting ready
q report for the Board of Estimate that
viii probably he delivered to the court
house board. After this has been done
the board will in all likelihood give on,
its own report. There is general agree
ment that the structure shall not cost
more than 100000
MIR. Mcclure said yesterday that In
spite of the fact that estimates place
tho cost At Sl0.0O0. 600. there Is nc
guarantee that unsound foundation con,
dit,ons Will not cause the city heavy
extra costs. Previous experience has
shown that the cost of foundation has
far exceeded any estimate.
Cost Si,OOO.OOO Over Estimates.
As An example, MIR. Mcclure cited
the present Municipal Building. ii,
said
"A notable instance Is the new Mu,
nicipal Building. for which caissons hat
to he sunk which cost more thar
Sl,ooO,o 900 In excess OF estimates. An
other instance Is the Hallenbeck Build
ing, which Is within the court hous,
site area, and which the city has &C,
quired by condemnation. This building
equipped. cost about 500, 900, of which
III" foundation represented a very larg,
part. still another instance is the bridg,
loop subway work, for which piles hat
to he driven to get a solid foundation.
The Real Estate Board. in the nam,
Of the real estate holders. who mus
bear the burden Of the cost. insist upor
two things:
"First-That estimates Of cost OF con
structlon Of the court house and civil,
centre site he obtained from impartia
and independent sources. that is. esti
mates based upon actual competent
methods. the same as II bids were In
Nlted.
'Second-That the borings he sub
stantial, that competent engineers b.
Estimate that the site selected for tn,
foundation OF the building is stabl,
enough to sustain the load.
A other considerations In regar re
to planning. construction work or tn,
authorization of moneys should be sub
ordinated to these two vital questions
John d. Crimmins has written t.
Comptroller Prcndergast urging tina
the present court house site be han
doned. He suggests that the site h
changed to Bryant Park. which he char
acterizes as ideal for the needs Of
court. He points out that borings ther,
show the sub-surface to be of rock.
Mr.. Crimmins also suggests tina tn
board should not overlook the Wash
ington Square site.