Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-03-25
CITY NEEDS 1925
SO. FEET IN NEW
MUNICIPAL HALL
Estimates of Floor Space
Made by Mayor and Mem
bers of Council
PLAN FOR THE FUTURE
Movement For Joint Structure
With County Given
Approval

Approval
Estimates of the floor space
which will be needed by the city
in the proposed joint municipal hall
and courthouse were submitted to
Mayor d. l.. keister at Il conference
of City Commissioners to-day. The
councilmen after approximating the
future needs of the various offices
during the coming twenty-five or
thirty years, decided that about So
600 square feet of floor space VIII
be needed.
Later in the week a conference
may be held with County Commits
sionerS unless the latter officials are
TOO busy acting on assessment ap-
peals. At the meeting of City Com
missioners to-day City Solicitor John
f.. Fox was present and told the
rounCilmen the act which will per-
init the city and county to erect
ioint building would soon be ap-
proved finally.
First Estimates
Mayor keiSter explained to the
other members of council that re-
gardlcss of the action taken on the
hill they should be prepared with
estimates of office needs when the
next conference is held with the
county. In response to his request
Tor estimates of square feet of floor
space for Office purposes, the follow
ing reports were made by depart
iuents:
'ublis affairs ............. 16,345
Accounts and finance ...... 1,4OO
Public safety .........,.... lb,3VO
Parks and public property 1000
Streets and public improve
ments ............,..,. 5000
Total 4S,@4J
Police Headquarters
In the estimate for the Depart
lnent of Public Affairs, Mayor keis-
ter included .JS5 for police head
quarters, which are to contain mu-
nicipal courtroom, lockers and GYM
nasium for police. assembly room
and other offices for heads of the
police bureau and detective force.
For the City Solicitors office $50
square feet has been allowed; city
councit chamber and city clerks Of
lice. $500; weights and measures,
$40.
commissioner c. w. Burtnett sub
nitted the following estimates for
the bureau and offices under his SUI
pervision superintendent, 500: as
scssor's office, 500; controller, 900:
treasurer 5000; license tax officer,
400.
In the department of public
safety $500 square feet have been
set aside Ivy Commissioner S. i.
iassler for the water bureau,
plumbing and building inspectors;
10000 for health and ash and gar
bage bureaus. and 1000 for the fire
and police alarm telegraph systems.
For the city park department, in
Guiding the planning commission Of
fees. 1900 square feet will be need
ed. Commissioner +. Il. Gross estl-
mated. and in case no central flre
station is provided, another 1000
square feet will be needed for the
iirc department officials.
For the highway bureau and city
engineers office, 5000 square feet
will be needed, Commissioners w. ii.
Lynch suggested.
Plan For Future
At the beginning of the session,
which followed the regular council
meeting, Solicitor Fox warned the
officials that they should provide
sufficient space not only for the
present but for many years totcome.
The councilmen said that in max
ing their estimates they had taken
his into consideration.
Mayor Keister during the confer
once said there should be no delay
in getting estimates of the space
needed by the city so that the cost
Of that part of the structure which
would be used for municipal pur-
poses and the other expenses con-
nected with the project can be de-
tcrmined and Il bond issue can be
prepared 10 be submitted to the
voters in November.
Approve Joint Building
When 1t was intlmated that the
county and city might not join in
the construction of new building
the commissioners said they may
ind it advisable, in that case, to
erect a structure for municipal pur-
poses entirely, but the councilmen
all said they favored a joint build
ing
1t was explained by Mayor Keis-
ter that in case the county Jail is
removed from ii city limits it will
he necessary to provide at least
sixty instead of ten cells for the
police department. as at present
many persons arrested by the city
officers are taken to Jail to await
hearings.
Commissioner Gross also told the
other officials that If central fire
station is provided near the bust
ness district as is now being con-
sidered it will not be necessary to
provide for more than one office in
the new city and county building
for the fire department.
After discussing the probable size
of the new structure it was decided
by the officials that at least three
floors and much of the basement
will be needed for city purposes In
the basement much of the fire and
police alarm telegraph apparatus
and police department equipment