The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1921-11-26
City Auditorium to Seat
10000 Persons Suggested

Despite the fact that the city has
condemned the property on which the
auditorium is planned to be built and
workmen are now busy dismantling
structures which formerly stood there.
persons interviewed concerning the
auditorium site still hold out hope
that the structure win be built at
some other place than the plot behind
Capitol park on Eighth avenue.
Not a person interviewed has said
that they did not favor city audi
torium. Everyone seems to be be-
hind the idea, but the Emergencies
of opinion as to size, site and type
of construction vary.
Some agree that the $500 600 in hand
is enough to build the structure.
Some hold out for a 5000 capacity
while others contend that the ca
pacity should be 10000. The large
size is favored in today's interview.
All this goes to show that Birming-
ham is interested in the auditorium
Practically everybody has his or her
idea OF it,
One of the recent phases has been
the suggestions that the auditorium
be built quickly and persons favoring
other sites have shown a willingness
to pass that up just to get the audi
torium started.
An interesting suggestion and one
different from most others comes to-
day In which site. on the south side
is suggested as one which would be
good. Accessibility, distance from
noise and plenty of parking space
seems to furnish the talking point in
this instance.
On south side
Il have in mind one site which l
think would be more suitable than
the one selected" says f. G. Chandler.
IT is located on Avenue G between
Twenty fourth and Twenty fifth
streets In the block in rear of the
Chero Cola company's building. It is
accessible and would provide plenty
of parking space for autos 1t is away
from excessive noise.
THE space occupies practically a
full block and IL necessary a block
could be secured. The property Vas
formerly a part OF the subdivision
owned by j. NJ. Scruggs and was
known as Browns Hill at that time.
Mr. Scruggs disposed of it number
of years ago and building in the dis
trict developed later"
Birmingham Grows
ut is about time we all realized
that Birmingham grows" said John
T. Glover AN auditorium seating
less than 10000 persons would be a
misnomer and would be found too
small before it was built You don't
need an auditorium every day, but
when you do need 1t, You need big
one bad.
Years ago we had frame wig
wan on First avenue seating 10000
persons. Time and again we filled 1t.
We had w. j. Bryan and Sam Jones
there. We had great populist mass
meetings and we entertained the Con-
federate veterans there when they
were host. That was none too big
for Birmingham more than a quarter
OF century ago. To talk about a
smaller one now is ridiculous when
we sense the size of Birmingham
and its growing pace and realize how
many large conventions we have al
ready lost because we have not had
large place of assemblage.
II do not like the site chosen. 1t
is about the worst spot that could
have been pieHad 1T. The Hillman
property IS decidedly the best loca-
4ien and from what J have heard is
the one that satisfies the greatest
numbe- n people
pr am sure So can build with what
we have. omit B few ornaments for
later construction If needs be, but