The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1923-05-17
.BEACHEL SITE
NOW PURCHASED
City Acquires Last Parcel
of Land for Courthouse
Site for S27,5OO.
TOTAL COST $279,SOO

Completing the task of securing the
site for the new Kenosha county court
house, the city of Kenosha this morn
ing served notice that it would exercise
the option recently obtained on the
Beachel estate property on Market
street, the last Of the parcels of land
needed to be acquired to keep the con-
tract of the city to furnish the site
desired in exchange for the site pur-
chased several years ago by the county
board The option stipulates that pos
session will be given within ten days
and this will mean that the site can be
cleared and that there will be no delay
in the pushing of the work on the new
courthouse.
The Beachel site, located at 372 Mar
ket street, was finally purchased for
$27,500, the city exercising the option
given to the county board building COM
mittee and the district attorney on last
Saturday. Steps had already been tax
en- to continue condemnation proceed
ings when the agreement was reached.
The other parcels of land which make
up the site have been acquired during
property recently purchased for $780,
900 being the most recent part of the
purchase to be completed.
Total Price is $279,8O0.
Figures for all Sof the transactions
made by the city to secure the site
were made public this morning, reveal
ing that the total cost of the site was
$279,800. The first property acquired
was the site of the former Coliseum
and adjoining buildings, bought from
z. G. Simmons and w. j. Frazier for
$4,000. Piece by piece the other prop
critics have been added until the deal
today completes the work.
In giving out details of the various
transactions, City Manager Osborn in
cluded with the price paid a statement
as to the tax value of the property and
percent of increase of the purchase
price over the tax value. This follows /:
Bazkowski property: Sale price, $15,-
800; tax value, $1,000; increase, 1850.
Mary E. Wulff site: Sale price, $14,-
600; tax value, $4,000; increase, $500.
Coliseum property: Sale price, $685.
600; tax value, S30,720; increase, 1920.
Hannahs property: Sale price, $17,-
900; tax value, S9,490; increase, 1850.
Guilbert property: Sale price, $780,
900; tax value, S48,250; increase, 311%o.
Beachel property: Sale price, $27,-
500; tax value, 10,390; increase 1880.
Total site sale price, $279,800; tax
value, $110,650; increase, $500.
Comparison Reveals Situation.
A comparison of the figures given in
this table reveals some interesting
facts regarding the various deals. 1t
shows that the price paid for the WulfH
property, which price was considered
reasonable from the city's point of
view, was in reality the highest when
compared to the tax value of the prop
erty. This also shows that the price
paid to the Beachel estate was below
the average price paid for the property.
In considering these figures, accord
ing to the city manager, it should be
remembered that the property in ques-
tion was purchased under pressure and
at a time when the owners were not
wanting TO sell. 1t was also recalled
that within the past five years other
property on Market square has been
sold at three times the purchase price
asked in 1918. With these facts taken
into consideration, it is held that the
city acquired the property at the lowest
price that could have been reasonably
expected.