Ashland weekly tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1919-1924, 1920-07-14
NORTH MAIN STREET
TO BE WIDENED AND
NEW GARAGE BUILT

D
brought to successful conclus-
ion so far as the settling of all
preliminary details is con-
cerned. 1t is something which
for forty years has been period
ically talked of and has been the
hope, even "the hobby" of many
people in times past, and of course
in the early history of Ashland
when it was only a little village
might have been done at much
less cost than now, though the
present cost seems nominal COM
pared to the cost of such radical
inn ovements in other cities, and
is happy solution of a difficult
situation. This refers to the wild
ening of North Main street on
the east side of the street for an
entire block from the Houck cor
ner to Water street.
When C. II. Pierce, for himself
and Harrison Brothers Ford gar
age, purchased the old Ashland
hotel property early last month,
they were already fully commit
ted to the widening Of the street,
but had no idea then if it could
be accomplished at all or not as
il seemed such a formidable un-
dertaking.
Mr.. Pierce found another en-
thusiastic supporter Of the pro-
jedi in E. o. Mccormick, vice
president of the Southern Pacific
railroad, who readily promised in
behalf of the railroad to donate
the necessary frontage off their
property from the Ashland hotel to
the Water street corner, provided
they should not be burdened by
the street improvement and side
walk replacement.
The HOuck corner has for over
fifty years been good rentable
property which has always hereto
fore placed ratrer excessive fig
IRE on that property in any at
tempted negotiations, and has al
ways been an obstacle in the con-
sideratiOn of the street widening
project. 1t would no doubt have
been so in the present instance,
except that Mr.. Pierce and Harri-
son Brothers came forward
promptly and agreed to donate to
the city not only all their Ashland
hotel frontage necessary to the
street widening but also they
agreed to donate $1,000 to the
city towards the purchase of the
Houck corner that the project
might not once again fall
through as it has many times be-
fore.
At the last meeting of the city
council Tuesday evening the may
or and council by unanimous vote
accepted the purchase of the
Houck corner on this condition
and made full provision for hand
ling the property and for widen
ing the street in due course of
business.
Tentative plans for the latter
have been made and will consist
in removing the corner where the
Houck building now stands, then
widening the street from that
point to Water street about eight
feet, to be taken from the Pierce
Harrison property and the South
ern Pacific property. The ten
foot walk now located along these
properties will be narrowed some
what, possibly two feet, giving a
ten-foot additional width to the
street there with an eight foot
walk.
Final papers will be signed as
soon as the city attorney passes
title to the Houck property, also
free deeds to the Ashland hotel
and Southern Pacific frontages.
What will be done by the city with
Houck corner has not been defi-
nitely settled, but the general opin-
ion seems in favor of wrecking |
the building to street level and
10 rebuild thereon neat concrete
building in harmony with the
large new Structure of the Ford |
garage to cover the balance of
the block, the new city building
to be used for offices to relieve
the congestion at city hall quar-
ters across the Plaza.