The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1922-04-08
IS
BONE Of THE
CONTENTION
improvements Is Still a Matter
of Hazy Future

orally agreed that Holman street
must be widened IL it is to remain
the principal business street Of Ha
rnond, the proposed Improvement is
still a thing of the hazy future.
Property owners on the street OBJ
ject to standing all Of the expense
of the widening Property owners
Of the district surrounding Holman
street object to being assessed for
improvements to Holman street
frontage.
Incidentally it may be mentioned
that several important building
projects will be affected vitality BY
! the progress or reaction shown BY
the people who are to settle the
matter.
The Hammond Board of Works
had the subject up yesterday after
noon which was the date set for the
hearing of remonstrances.
There were plenty of remonstra-
tors but it was plain that they were
kicking against the plan of assess
4
against the Improvement itself. The
Improvement would extend from
| Plummer avenue, south to Carroll
street and the district which would
have TO help pay for the work en-
braced the territory from State Line
street to the Erie railroad for the
most part Some property east OF
the Erie is included towards the
north end of the district Nearly all
of the taxpayers Of the district out
side of those actually fronting on
Holman street had their names on
the remonstrances.
William Kleigehe and William
Love representing probably the two
largest property investments on the
street objected to the improvement
conditionally. They desired to have
some idea OF the cost of the work
before they agreed to It, Mr.
Kleigehe said he already had an
architect figuring on the cost of
cutting twenty feet off of the front
of the Parthenon theatre lobby and
the business rooms to the north of
Mr.. Love stated that the Rimbach
block would sooner or later have to
be replaced by a more pretentious
building and he realized the value
of widening the street. He favored
hiring experts to prepare estimates
| of the costs for the entire street SO
| that owners Of frontage may know
about what it will cost them
1t Is generally agreed that sub
stantial buildings which must be
| changed should receive a greater
portion OF damages than buildings
which have outlived their useful
ness and should be replaced 1t is
the owners of some of these ram
shackle buildings who are doing
most to hamper the Improvement
because the expense to them will be
greater.
A NJ. Turner. representing the
First National bank. informed those
present that his bank has been
planning a new home for some time.
He said that one thing which causes
the directors to hesitate is the un-
certainty of Holman streets future
as the business center Of Hammond
He said they had been considering
the purchase of the Central school
PiopCi ~ b0l SAAdl tHGE were not
anxious to invest $25O.00O or more
in fine building If it was to be on
a narrow street from which bust
ness was drifting away
Mr. Turner declared that property
owners had put aside the improve
ment several times when it was dis
cussed and each time had learned
that it would cost more. He de-
clared that they should not put it
off longer now no matter what the
cost because he believed the ex-
pense would be cared for in in
creased value to their frontage.
r. E. Woods, a real estate dealer.
told of the remarkable growth OF
the territory around Calumet ave.
since that street was widened and
extended through the lake. He
pointed to the business houses which
are springing up along the street
and predicted that unless Holman
street got busy. the business cen
ter would shift eastward. AS an
example of the manner in which
street improvements enhance prop
erty values he called attention to
the development along Michigan
blvd. in Chicago. after the street
had been widined and the link
bridge constructed.
Adam Ebert was the only one
who came out fat-footed against
the Improvement. He said 1t would
cost too much. He also laughed at
the idea of the business center NOV
ing from Holman street. He said
the North Side had nowhere else to
trade because of lack OF river bridg-
es and because the street car lines
give them no other choice.
There was some talk of letting
the street alone but passing ordin-
ances forbidding parking of auto
mobiles in the business district. 1T
was suggested that by widening
Fayette street and building a City
hall on the Central School property
all of the machines could be stored
on Fayette street.
The board. after hearing the dis
cussion, announced that the matter
would be continued until May 2sth,
before passage OF the final resolu-
tion was considered. In the mean
time property owners were urged
to have engineers furnish them
with figures showing about what the
work would cost.