The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-07-30
COMMENT HEARD
 ON PROPOSED DEAL FUR COUNTY SITE
Ferguson Issues Statement Sunday, Breaking Silence
 Of Saturday Night

article regarding plans of the Jef- ferson county board of revenue to buy a new court house site, closing the deal in secret, without giving the citizens of the county ample oppor- tunity to discuss the matter
 Delegations protesting against the proposal, which provides that the county pay $263,o00 out of the bridge and building fund, in four annual installments, for the property De- tween Park and Eighth avenues, north, and East Twentieth and appear before the board of revenue Tuesday morning, when Mir. Fergu- son is to present his plan
 MT. Ferguson Sunday asked The Age-Herald to publish his statement regarding the situation. after hay night His statement is printed in full, as follows:
 Fcrgusons' Statement.
 "The Age-Herald's story in Sun days paper regarding the proposed purchase of a court house site by the board of revenue does me an unin- itentional injustice when it says that I have an option on the property Tn souestion, which I offered to the city of Birmingham last winter at $24S,- 900. and I am now offering 1t to the
  ing that l am trying to make profit ion the county to that extent.
 "The facts are: Last December got an option on the block between Park avenue and Eighth avenue and East Twentieth and Twenty-first streets in favor of the city at price of S250.0O0. The option stated clearly what commission 1 was to receive land it was only normal commls- sion. These options expired March 31, 1923, and in May, when I got new set of options to the county, thought myself very lucky to get them at s262.OOO, considering the very active market we have been having in Northside property since the Burger trade was announced on Jan uary l. These options state clearly that the regular commissions are to be paid me for making the sale.
 Tt has been well known by the court house reporters of all three or the Birmingham papers that during the past few months the board of revenue has considered several sites for the new court house, and one of them had considerable publicity in the press.
 T have attended many meetings of the board of revenue and the report CTS knew my business there and the property I represented, SC the news papers have had every opportunity to discuss the matter if they had wanted to do so.
 ''The property in question, known as Block 22, is, in the opinion of most a splendid buy for the county for S262.00O. The block is 150 by 61O feet, containing 91,500 square feet, and after a most careful study, I am convinced there Is not another block or half block of property between Eighteenth and Twenty second streets and from First and Seventh avenues that can ke obtained on so faVoraoie a basis.
 T believe the county will have nice profit in Block 22 if it is de- cided in the future to sell it, rather than build the court house on it. Civic Center Iden.
 For many years the idea has been growing in popularity that all the public baildinS Ss which may be erected hereafter shall be located around Capitol park. Mannings plans for the city gives a beautiful layout of public buildings located on the four sides of this park
 Every landscape engineer and city planner who has an opportunity to express himself on the subject agrees with Mir. Manning on this feature.
 The Birmingham chapter of Archi-
  civic center idea, as has the Birmlng- ham Real Estate board and other civic organizations.
 This block is so shaped and so To- cated that it is ideally suited for any type of buildings the county authCri- ties may decide to put on 1t.
 One type would be a low two story type. like the Birmingham post office. Block 22 is 20 per cent larger that the post office site, and if part of East Twentieth street, which is unnecessarily wide, is added to Block 22, it would be 50 per cent larger than the post office site.
 "Another type of building which is very popular now would be one four or five stories in height and not coV- ering so much ground. Still another would be the skyscraper type. run ming up to 10 stories or more. Either one of these buildings would face on a quiet park with the nearest street car traffic on Eighth avenue. over 300 feet from the center of the building and automobile traffic in front reduced to a minimum or cut out all together.
 There has been an insistent de- mand for years from nearly every grand jury that has met, from law yers, witnesses, jurors and all those who have had business with the county that Jefferson county should have a new court house, and be- lieve the board of revenue can more nearly meet these demands in a prac- tical manner by acquiring Block 22 than any other place in Birmingham. Civic centers Tn Other Cities.
 Washington. with it's public build ings, located around the Mall, is the most conspicuous civic center in the country.
 "St. Louis is spending S5.000,OO0 to acquire small park-like space around which to group it's public buildings. New York is planning to tear down the government post office in order to increase the size of the city hall parks around which the great municipal building, the Wool worth building and other great struc- lures are located
 Many other cities throughout the country are planning civic centers along similar lines, and l know of no place where it can be done so easily, so cheaply or so effectively as around Capitol park in Birmingham.
 "The Age-Herald's Sunday story mentions the fact that the city com mission had turned down this same proposition which the county is now considering. In this connection it is well to state that the city commis- sion has taken the first tangible steps toward the building of a civic center by building the city audito- rum at Eighth avenue and Twenti eth street.
 Last winter. when Block 22, east of the park, was under option to the city, the commission gave several months of study to the desirability of locating the city hall and other city buildings in that locality, and they expressed themselves as very favorable to the idea, provided the city had the money, which it had not.
 "I suggested that they sell the present city hall in order to get money to buy the site at Capitol park and other real estate which the city needed. but the commissioners de- cided this would not be wise plan. Joint City And County Building.
 "The Age e-Herald also calls atten-