The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-08-12
S. B. Alto BUILD
OFFICE BUILDING
ON HARRISON ST.
Three-StOry FireprOof Struc-
ture to House Topeka Society.
Provision Will Be Made for Ad-
ditiOnal Stories in Future.
To COST QUARTER OF MILLION
Contract To Be Let Soon
Completed in Year.
Association Now Has Member
ship of 275, 900 in q. S.
10 COST QUARTER OF MILLION
Contract To Be Let Soon
Completed in Year.
Association Now Has Member
ship of 275,OOO in Q. S.

Construction on the new $3.50, 900
office building of the Security Benefit
association. to be erected at the south
east corner of Seventh and Harrison
streets, will begin some time in Octo-
Der. according to an announcement
made today by James NJ. kirkpatrick.
national president The building will
be a modern three-story fireproof
structure with dimensions of 110x13O
feet. Provision will be made when it
is being constructed for the addition
of two or three more stories says
Kirkpatrick. The new building will
take care OF the present needs of the
association, but additional stories for
office room will be needed in a few
years, he says.
To BE Completed in a Year.
The plans for the building will be
arranged for in the near future and
the contract will be let so that con-
struction will begin at an early date.
1t is planned to have the building
ready for occupancy in August, 1928.
The building site is composed of six
25x150 foot lots The structure will.
face Harrison street and the north
side of the building will reach the lot
line. This will leave a vacant space
of forty feet on the south side of the
property
To Install Printing Department.
The first floor will be a basement
with windows above the ground. 1t
will be used as supply and Storage
room. The new printing department
of the offices will also occupy a por-
will install equipment so that it may
do its own printing. The offices of
the president and committee rooms
will be located on the second floor. One
hundred and thirty persons are now
employed in the national offices and
this number viii be increased some
what when the new q' rters are ready
for occupancy. The Iresent quarters
of the association are inadequate, it
is said They consist of two floors in
the Security building with office space
of Is, 900 square feet. The new build
ing will contain over 10000 square
feet of room.
The building will be located outside
of the present business district on ac-
count of the conveniency. 1t is easily
accessible from the business district
but is outside of the noisy portion.
also believes that even
tually office blocks will be built in
the vicinity of the new structure.
Plan Heating Plant.
The heating plant for the structure
pletion but Edison heat will be used
for time. The building will be con-
of reinforced concrete. 1t
will be faced with brick and stone
placed in the building.
THE construction of the new build
ing is significant of the large growth
of the association" says Kirkpatrick
1T Is distinctly a Kansas institution.
It was organized thirty years ago last
February in a drug store at Fourth
and Lake streets. The first office was
maintained in this store. Offices were
later maintained in the Farmers Ma
tional bank building and the Stormont
nffiPa nnRnRd
in the Security building in 1896 and
the building was purchased in 1900"
Total of 275,OOO Members.
The association was organized with
eleven members as compared with
275,000 members at present. 1t does
assets amount to S3,OOO,OOO and it is
los per cent solvent. says Kirkpatrick.
1t ranks sixth in size among the in
surance beneficiary associations in
the United States.
The erection of the new building
also indicates that the association ex-
poets to maintain its national offices
in Topeka. Last year when the at
torney general brought suit against
the ASSOCIATION, the moving of these
says kirkpatrick. The as
sociation owns the National hotel
property. Using it for offices was
seriously considered but it could not
be arranged to suit the office needs
without too much cost.
An Important Institution.
Kirkpatrick considers the associa-
ton Topeka's most important institu-
ton with the exception of the Santa
Fe railroad. The association con-
ducts business in forty states of the
union and wherever it operates it ad-
vertises Topeka. he says There are
6 900 members residing in Topeka
The total number of employees is
400. When the new building is COM
pleted the total valuation of the To-
peka property will exceed one million
dollars.