New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-01-03
PREDICT BRONX
BUILDING BOOM
Jerome Avenue Subway
Branch Will Draw Many
to the Borough.
CAMPAIGN TO AID
REALTY INTERESTS
Movement Now Under Way by
Board of Trade, Which
Has Opened Bureaus.

The early part Of the new year will
witness a great building boom in the
territory that will be served by the
Jerome az. branch Of the new Lexing-
ton Az. subway, now building, Is the
opinion of the best informed real es
tate operators and builders in The
Bronx.
Those who have been directly inter
ested in the growth of this section OF
the borough, which is logically and
geographically the continuation Of the
great West Side Of Manhattan, believe
further that for this reason the same
class of people who are at present re-
siding on the West Side will be at
tracted to the new section, as the class
Of buildings that will be erected Will
not be Of the fiat or tenement house or
der. but in the main substantial apart
ment houses of the type of those
erected on Washington Heights.
The upbuilding of the section has
been retarded because of the delay OF
the Public Service Commission in au-
thorizing the award of the contracts
empowering the lnterborough Rapid
Transit Company to proceed with the
work. Now, however, all uncertainty
has vanished, as the commission in au-
thorizing, mainly at the inslstence OF
Commissioner Robert {. Wood, has
given the lnterborough the necessary
authority TO begin york on the hnal
links in the construction Of the line,
and the section is preparing to receive
an additional 100000 population by the
time set for the completion and opera
tion of the line, fourteen months hence.
The Bronx Board of Trade, recognZ-
ing this fact, is preparing TO get TO,
gether" with the realty interests ana
aid them in the development OF the
section. Under the newly reorganlzed
plan of operations, which went INTO
effect during the last week, the Board
of Trade has now well equipped bu-
reaus to support each line of bust
ness endeayor, and beginning January
7 the real estate men of the borough
will meet in several sessions TO outline
plans for the booming Of not only TINS
section in particular but of each part
of The Bronx.
When interviewed regarding the
Jerome av. rapid transit route, Com
missioner Wood, who is an active mem
Der of the Board of Trade, said:
jerome az. TO my mind will soon
become the Columbus az. of the west
side of The Bronx. IL has all the
natural advantages for a great business
artery. and will soon have suitable
rapid transit facilities. This elevated
structure, which is being rapidly com
pleted, will have three tracks, on when
an express service will be operated
The people of this section can then
have the choice Of using either the con
nection through 162d ST. and High
bridge Hill of the Eighth av. ele-
waited railroad, which Will be third
tracked all the way downtown, or the
four-track Lexington av. subway route:
1t will be possible to go by these rapid
transit routes to either side OF Man
haitian and reach any Of the business
sections. o..
"In addition to this rapid transit
service. numerous street railway cross
town lines enable people TO reach any
section of The Bronx.
There is already residential develop
ment on each side of Jerome av., such
as University Heights, Mount Hope,
Fordham and Bedford Park sections:
With the completion and operation OF
this rapid transit route jerome av. u
self should develop rapidly INTO great
business centre. 1t will have all the
advantages TO this end, and | do not
think that this development VIII De
long delayed"
II, U. Singh. one Of the most prom
inent realty men in The Bronx, SAID:
THE Jerome av. section OF the west
Bronx is the natural continuation OF
the West Side north. II has grown
wonderfully in spite of the fact that
the Jerome av. trolley has been the
only means of transit. Now that me
rand transit construction work IS well
under way on Jerome av. and Will have
a connection with tne Sixth and Ninth
av. elevated roads, as well as the
Broadway-Lexingtona v. subway and the
present subway, the section Will nat
urallv draw the good class or dwellers
accustomed 70 the more refined west
side of the city. look upon the vi
cinity of Jerome sv. and Fordham Road
az the coming 42d st. and Broadway
OF The Bronx"
+ Harris Jones. ex-president OF the
IRONY Board OF Trade and formerly
Superintendent Of Buildings OF the
Rorouoh of The Bronx, said: The
board fought for years for the extern
sion of the Sixth and Ninth aV. ele-
waited lines across the Putnam Railway
bridge and north on Jerome av., ana
has finally succeeded in having plans
approved by the Public Service COM
mission for stations at SedgWicA aV'
and 1921 81. and at Anderson ay Inc
public Service Commission has not
onIv approved the plans but IS about
TO advertise for contracts on TINS spur
which when finished. will not only con-
meet this section with the elevated
lines, but with the Broadway-LeHing
TON sv. subway at Jerome ay. and lo'tn
- | fully expect that the spur VIII
no In actual operation months before
the Lexington av. main line IS com
nle.ed The entire borough is looking
forward 10 a great boom in the Jerome
ysIley because Of the fact that the
street having and sewers are completed
tbare 70 a greater degree than IN any
other section OF New YORK, ana US
topographv is such as TO invite the
verv highest class Of improvements,
similar 10 the upper West Side OF Man
lat,an. Already ten-story apartments
arc being erected on the Grand Boule-
vsrd and Concourse, in anticipation OF
the great influx Of population at the
opening OF the new rapid transit
routes"
DrrTCD TIMEc COMING