Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-02-10
CITY BEAUTIFUL
in NEAR FUTURE
Parkway to Be Finished
and Northeast Boulevard
Completed
PUBLIC BUILDINGS, TOO
Work Will Take Years and
Additional Funds Must Be
Provided by Councils

GThis is the sirth and last OF a series
OF articles on municipal affairs IN Phila-
delphid1
SO far this series on probable mu-
nicipal activities in this and succeeding
years has dealt exclusively with inn
provements peculiar TO a city useful.
The articles would be incomplete.
! however, without n reference TO other
! projects primarily having to do with a
! city beautiful and which in their aggre-
gate VIII cost future generations many
| millions Of dollars
| Expenditure Of the reqtred millions,
| however, the projectors say, will be more
/ ivan justified in the results accomplish
cd
Under this head comes first the
| PARKWAY, upon which 100000 600 has
already been spent in the acquisition Of
land in the heart Of the city and In
| bringing the roadbcd to partial compile
ton Because of a plan TO take more
property than was contemplated by
any previous administration. the addi-
tional cost Of the Parkway and its sur
rounding service drives. etc, VIII prob
ably be 100000 This money Will
have to come from future 'oans, as the
last appropriation of S9,00o,0OO for the
Parkway is about exhausted.
Next in importance from utilitarian
standpoint comes the Northeast Boule-
vard with its network Of roadways fur
ishing easy access to sections that
formerly were comparatively hard to
reach. This work has already cost the
city about S5,OOO.O0O, and no exact esti-
mates of it's further cost have been
completed.
Structures on Parkway
Next to the two main thoroughfares
that form the foundation of city
beautiful come the handsome pubic
structures that will grace the Park
way. Agitation for convention hall'
an art palace and free library build
ing commensurate with this city's i'm
portance as a literary center, has been
under way for many years, and past
loans have contained items for the pre-
Iimlnarv work of building, architects
fees and grading and foundations
In this. the last year of the smith
administration final plans have been
accepted in most instances and work
started on one or more Of the prellm.
oary undertakings. All. however, VIII
require years to complete and additional
funds will have TO be found II the pres
cnt ambitious scheme of building is to
he carried through. Many public and
religious bodies contemplate the erec-
tion of buildings (Some of them war
mtmorialS) along the line OF the farh-
way hut only the three mentioned viii
be paid for directly from funds PAID
by tax payers into the city treasury.
A total of S3.5OO.O0O of loan funds
have been set aside for the free library
,he first $l.OOO,OOO having been appro-
Il
of architects fees. grading of site and
cellar work was S4i69l0.95 and con-
tracts have been let in the last year for
the completion of the building at cost
of S3,O47O0O This leaves a balance
available for contract of S7.0S9.05. The
task comes under the department OF the
Mayor and is being hastened in every
way by the trustees of the free>library'
No hard and fast time limit has been
placed on completion.
SO far the city has appropriated but
sl,5OO,oOO for a convention hall. The
appropriation of loan funds started in
1911. From then on a total of Sl27,OOO
has been expended in architects fees,
.tc The ulans have been changed al
most as often as new locations have
been suggested The present plans call
for a large auditorium of modern con-
struction to be built on the Parkway,
west of Logan square. Preliminary con-
tracts to the amount of $4,000 are
underway. The cost of the building
complete has been variously estimated
at from $4,000, 600 TO s3,o0O,O00.
Thousands Saw Model
In 1915 loan funds to the amount of
81. SOC. 900 were set aside for the con-
struction of an art museum The work
of obtaining plans vas undertaken by
the Fairmount Park Commission and the
Art Jury. Architects from here and
abroad were employed and finally plans
were tentatively approved and plaster
cast made and exhibited in the wooden
building in the courtyard Of City Hall,
The complete cast was viewed by thou
sands before its final removal.
Constant changing of the plans has
prevented any proposals for estimates,
and estimates of cost based Oh archi-
tects' drawings run far in excess of the
remainder Of s1.716,O00 available. IF
forts are being made to have contracts
let and work started on this structure
during the coming year.
Other building operations that do not
come directly under the head of city
beautiful projects, but that are essential
TO a city useful, are those being con-
Quoted by Director Krusen, of the De-
partmcnt of Health and Charities, in his
effort TO secure better living conditions
for between 5000 and 1000 sick and un-
fortunates who are wards Of the city
The department was given $4,000, 900
man funds out OF the s42 SEQ 900 general
loan of 1916 with which to complete the
construction of new buildings at the
municipal home for tho INDECENT and
insane at Byberry. Director Krusen has
a balance of s1,211,O00 left for expendi.