The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-10-12
PLAN TO OPEN
 WESTERN END
 OF FIFTH AVENUE
Report Reveals Canny Buying In That M
 Vicinity

The real estate market haa Ueen akis tated for some little time by the report that Fifth avenue is to be opened nnd paved west of Fourteenth street to make new connection between Ensley and Birmingham proper. Just how Tar the proposal has gone is not dektnitaU known, but 1t is stated that survNx has been made and plans have reacneR beyond the nebuious stBte. IL E AlaF known that considerable buying ot prep erty along the thornughfare ran Ae traced Co investors whose canay Juakr ment has seldom been proven wrong
 The opening of Fifth avenue would give the city three arteries to the Ensley distric, and better the other two hs about a mile, 1t k said. Under the plan proposed 1t is said probable that com demnation proceedings would be Reces- Isary for some of ~the property in the pathway.
 One leader in the movement admitted Saturday that two of the. larger prop erty owners along the avenue, who VIII be asked to bear heavy burden ot the expense, have been sounded on the prop osition and both have expressed them selves as favorable to the plan.
 Paving of the thoPoughfare would call for cooperation by the Birminghanl Electric company since the Tidewater car line runs ovel the street. The eonl- pany has not yet been approached but it Is asserted that their previous policies point to an agreement from that quarter.
 The street car company would be call cd upon to pave between their tracks and two feet on either side. The city would pave all intersections and prop erty owners the remainder of the street.
 No surprfse. .--Announcemen that Herman Saks and Sons will erect a new department store on the southedni corner of Second avenue and Eighteenth street will come as no surprise to tlse realty market. Rumors to that effect were current on the rialto so long as two months ago, probably, as one broker faceti0usiN remarked, even Dc. for the Sakz. themselves, had any ink. ling of 1t. The report itself resulted directly in two good sized deals. One was the purchase of the northeast corner of First avenue and Eighteenth street and the other was tIIe signing of 20-year lease on the Bur. nett building by the 23458 12234564GG also said to have started third fat transaction which will turn out to be one of the largest realty trades of ths year.
 Post Office Has E3lddcrs-Predictio of one broker, published last Sunday, that the old post office building will soon be sold, appears not such an Idle dream after all. Several agents are reported to hold bids for the building although the general belief that the structure must go under the hammer, If 1t is sold. As customary with goY. eTnment buildings au application wotlld probably have to pass through congrtss Hnd if acted upon favorably, a public hearing and sale would be necessary. In case such is the ultimate result it will undoubtedly bring the mgss spirited auction Birmingham has setn in recent years. A number of investors would likely go as high as a half mil. lion for the property since the site is considered one of the most valuable downtown corners not now occupied by Irivate businesses.
 Growth Of RecOrds-SOme idea of how the real estate business of Birming- ham has grown Is shown by the Ilumi- Der of volumes of deeds and mortgages