The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-09-28
RAMSAY FAVORS PARK DISTRICT AS CIVIC CENTER Plan Provides For Con- k struction Of 6 Build
 ings In Group WILL GIVE $25,OO0
 IF IDEA IS ADOPTED Would Be Ideal Solution Of Situation, Capital
 ist Believes

| l ing Woodrow Wilson park on the east and west, was proposed Saturday by Erksine Ramsay as a most feasible l manner in which to settle the contro' versy over the library site.
 Mir. Ramsay's plan provided for the construction of six buildings, including the new library, a new court house, g new city hall, a museum, an art gal lery and a combined city and county school administration building, in definite arrangement which would not encroach upon the present territory o1 the park. In addition, Mir. Ramsay announced that he would donate $25, 600 for the construction of the city county school administration building if the plan were carried out.
 "The idea came to me after consider | ing some of the arguments concerning the site of the proposed library" Mir Ramsay said" At the present time the county owns strip of land 6lO feet t'by 115 feet between east Twentieth street and Twenty-first street. There is similar strip of land between Nine teenth street and west Twentieth street Tt is entirely feasible to close of both east and west Twentieth streets | without any serious impairment of traf 1 fife. The land owned by the county with the strip available on the west anC that gained by closing the streets would practically double the size o the park And around the present parl site, it would be possible to construc the new court house, a new city hall l the library, the city.county school ad ministration building, as well as { museum and art gallery. In fact, it Il possible to carry out the civic cente idea as developed by many other cities in such way, that the beauty of thi park would not be injured, but on tn, other hand increased.
 Not Affect Park
 ''As matters now stand, there i ] considerable pressure behind the move ment to erect the library. in the park This new building, perhaps, will ob struct the view of the city auditorium and /this is not desirable. Under tn plan I have in mind, it would be pos sible to erect a new library building il the southeast corner of the enlarged l and Twenty-firSt street without affect park-at the corner of Park avenue ing in any way the park or the new court house, which is to be- erected midway between Park avenue ant Eighth avenue.
 'sThe court house," Mir. Ramsay con tinued, lis to be six or seven stor! structure, I believe, and it's beaut! would not be marked by the librar! building, which would be much lower
 Two other advantages which thi combination offers first came to mi after rading the interview with MT Drennen, where he suggested cutting 25 feet from both east and west Twen tieth streets.
 1.-The first is that the present cour house site, 610 and 155 feet is rathe poorly shaped for a building. Unde the new. arrangement, it would be pos sible to set the court house as we'll a all the other proposed buildings bacl from the street and this would carr, out the park effect. The second il that such location for the librar! would meet all objections. The new structure would not occupy space il Wilson park and at the same tim would meet the approval of those who's, idea in locating the library in the parI is it accessibility.
 Funds Limited
 ''I know that neither the county o the city have funds to be used for con structing a school administration build ing. Both departments of education could be located in the same building provided it were constructed properly and there would be no conflict. Such building is almost d necessity and would be willing to donate $25,000 t. such a purpose"
 On the strip of land on the west sid of the park, Mir. Ramsay suggests , | city hall, opposite the court hous flanked on either end by a museum an' an art gallery.
 There would be no loss to the cit. in purchasing this land" he asserted flor the present city hall could be sOlt for at least enough to buy the land and there is every reason to believ' that the sale of the present hall woult buy the land and leave surplus.
 Then, in time, Birmingham, as fund were secured, could add the museum and art gallery or other public 0 quasi-public buildings"
 No time limit for the erecting of al the buildings, which would give Bir mingham n complete civic center, com parable with the Mall in Cleveland Ohio, was set by the philanthrOpist save that the work of securing the lan' and the condemnation of the two street could be started at once.
 IA discussing the proposed plan, Mir Ramsay stated that in making his sug gestion, he had only the welfare ant Identification of Birmingham in mind and that such a grouping of publl buildings in other cities had greatly in creased the civic beauty.
 Another point brought out in the in terview was that it would be necessar for all the buildings on either side O the park to conform in general archi tectural design. There would be n need for any provision for inspection 0 plans of new buildings, he thought, a the various. organizations was talk especial care to make each new build ing add to the others.
 The plan was suggested by Mir. Ram say. simply as a plan for the bettermen of Birmingham, and has been presente to no organization for adoption, h stated.
 SACRED HARP SINGING
 A Scred Harp singing will be hel, Sunday at Olive Branch Baptist churcl
 II M.