The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-02-16
PRELIMINARY DATA LIN AUDITORIUM |S DUE IN TWO WEEKS
Associated Architects Put Force at Work-ExiSting Contract Recognized by
 Commissioners

Associated architects and the city commission at conference late Thurs day afternoon signed treaty of peace and agreed upon plan of pro cedure which should insure prompt action on the auditorium project.
 Hugh Martin and D. 0. Whilldin were treaty commissioners for the architects, cast aside when the pres ent city commission took office, and Commissioners w. B. Gioe, w. L. liar rison and W. E. Dickson represented the city commission. Mrs. Mary Echols and President D. E. McLendon were unable to attend, Mrs. Echols being in Cincinnnti and MT. McLen- don at a Shrine luncheon.
 Terms agreed upon were:
 Recognition of the contract made for the city with the architects by the last commission, which City At torney W. J. Wynn had Indicated would be abrogated. Commissioners Cloe, Dickson and Harrison agreed to vote for a resolution confirming the contract at Tuesdays commission meeting.
 Preliminary data is to be submitted
 
 covering a building of the arena type, to seat 5000 persons and to cost mt more than the money in hand will permit. Hugh Martin, one of the seven associated architects, said Thursday night that force had been put at work on the task after a meeting of the architects, and that the work would be pushed to comple- tion.
 Detailed plans and specifications are to be submitted to the commission for approval within approximately so days. These plans are to include provision for one or two smaller halls, to provide for 500 or 500 seating ca- pacity. Rental of these halls is ex- pected to care for portion of the upkeep expense of the auditorium.
 stress Contract Recognition
 When the conference, which was called by Mir Dickson, began, MT. Whilldfn'5 first statement was that the contract of the associated archi- tects. should be recognized before re- lations resumed. He prefaced th.s by saying that the matter must be han died on a business basis. After dis eussion of the contracts terms, which provide that the architectc shall be paid a fee of per cent of the build ing's cost the commissioner as- scented.
 Answering a question from Mir. Harrison, MT. Dickson said that at present s436,000 is available for building the auditorium, but that by the time construction would start, this amount wouldd be $445,00o<
 Full publicity to future incidents in handling of the auditorium pro- ject will be the policy of the archi- tects, according to MT. Martin Thurs day afternoons conference was thrown open when a newspaper man inquired if the session was to be executive. Commissioner Dickson said he was willing to admit the press representative and the archi- tects also agreed.
 Commissioners and architects alike were optimistic and in high spirits over the outcome of the conference and admitted that the situation ap- peared rosy. The recent tangle and turmoil attendant to the handling of the auditorium project was referred to by both sides as an educational campaign" which no doubt had done the public much good.
 Architects associated in the audi torium contract are Will Warren, | Eugene Knight, O. Whilldin. H. D. WHeelOCh, Den Irlce, Jonn NH Ter and Hugh Martin.
 With this angle of the situation adjusted. discharge of the Chamber of Commerce auditorium committee and recall of their representative | who had gone to Chicago to have a detail check was made of the plans drawn by H. D. Breeding were events forecast by O. l.. Bum, gen. eral manager of the chamber. In fact. Paoli Smith, the emissary to Chicago, has already been recalled. The committee will probably be dis charged Tuesday by the board of di- rectors, with thanks. MT. Bum said Thursday.