The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-12-21
Many New Structures VIM Soon
BE Begun in Topeka.
Development in Business Dis
trict ON Large Scale Planned.
START WORK EARLY IN SPRING
North American Hotel One Of
Big Buildings To Go Up.
Telephone Company and Rail-
roads Also To Build.

Topeka, apparently. IL on the verge
Of an after the war; era Of develop
ment.
A resumption Of building activity IL
already evident. Records Of the reg
lister Of deeds office show a brisk in
crease in real estate activity. while
contractors declare that indications
forecast 4 spring building program
larger than was regarded normal be-
fore the war. This work, 1t is as
serted, will also begin earlier than
usual. IN
Expansion and development in the
residence districts OF the city was vir-
taally At q standstill during the war,
because Of high costs and material
shortages, not to mention . shortage
of labor. To a certain extent, these
conditions are expected to be a1levi-
ated by spring. A large percentage of
the men in military service will re-
turn home furnishing adequate labor.
lessened on materials which have been
turned to Industrial uses leaving the
lumber supply again accessible to
domestic demands and placing larger
quantities Of structural steel on the
market. 77te' ~
With these conditions impending
To-, eka is also turning toward de-
velopments in the business district.
Nearly q million and a half dollars
worth of railroad improvements have
been waiting on the war. These items
include the planned Santa Fe office
building at Tenth and jackson, and
Union Pacific passenger and freight
stations in North Topeka. Some ac-
ton to start their actual construction
| may begin during the following year.
The new office building planned by
in close prospect.
The most important building in To-
peka--the nearest in readiness for
construction when the weather per-
mits-is the ten-story, modern North
American hotel at Ninth and Kansas
avenue. work upon which was stopped
by the government restrictions OF
building and by the Kansas local
priorities board, which bans have now
been removed. since the signing of the
armistice. The excavations for the
| foundations were almost completed
when government restrictions stopped
construction.
| Labor Still Scarce.
The architect Of the hotel, F. W
Fitzpatrick of Omaha, said q few day.
ago: The company Is ready to pro.
coed with the work, but we are con.
fronted with two troubles just now
| winter Is upon US and it is almos
futile to attempt anything but inside
| work; then our forces are entirely sho
to pieces In our construction depart
ment we used to have $50 picked fel.
lows, superintendents, foremen, etc
| Lately we have had twenty-one a
work and just now we have managed
to crowd up to almost forty. II W.
can get good contractor. who !.
villing to take q chance on the wealth.
er and fix everything in READINGS,
during the winter so as to begin with
the first crack OF spring with actua
construction. I deem We are lucky.
II rather hazardous to tackle concrets
foundation work with possibilities o
hard freezing"
At Ottawa the North American Ho
tel company has almost completed I'll
building. Plastering is now going OIL
and about sixteen men are at worl
there under Assistant Architect Nor
rison. who said yesterday that the!
Expected to have the hotel in readiness
to open March /.