New Britain herald., 1926-07-20
UNTAXED PROPERTY
 DOWNTOWN

DOWNTOWN
 One school of financial, political and economic thought would have
 1t that all property in the down. town section should be of a char acter enabling the city to garner it's full exaction of tax money When a church occupies valuable downtown space the city loses every year what taxes could be levied against commercial struc- ture on the site. And thus we find there are at least four prominent downtown churches on prominent sites, and not any of them need to pay taxes. If the circle of consid- eration is extended one finds other churches. A big loss in tax money is thus represented.
 But is 1t a genuine loss in all cases? If every church in the down. town section were removed to the outskirts, would that mean each site would be occupied by valuable business structures? One mans guess is as good as another's, and in truth, nobody knows except that it is probable few of the sites would be eagerly sought. But if 1t is a question of room for business blocks. there still is considerable to be had in the downtown section. There are some properties which are so free of other usage that they are devoted to parking automobiles. This of course refers to New Brit ain today; how conditions will be 20 years hence is a different mat ter.
 In favor of the church buildings this much can be said: They have a moral value in the city which cannot be reckoned in money. In sense they help to make other property more valuable. Who would wish to live in the city if there were no churches in 1t? Neither industry, commerce or tax money can take the place Of re- ligious influence. But that isn't say ing they wouldn't achieve the same end If not situated downtown.
 Failure of churches to pay taxes has been mentioned by officials on several occasions, but churches are not the only downtown non-taSable buildings which stand in the way of commercial eXpansion-borrow- ing the term as used by the local commentators. There are schools, for instance; and the public library, the post office, and the city hall building itself. Some of these are in choice locations, too. The chief diff | faculties between these and churches is they are busy all week, while the | main business of the churches is done on Sunday.
 The Central Junior high school l on Main and Chestnut streets is To- cated on at least a more important site than the adjoining Methodist church, assuming corner lot IS more valuable than the lot next door. Both may retard commercial expansion in that direction, but one not more than the other.
 Tho South Congregational church occupies a commanding site; so commanding, in fact, that some city officials recently opined 1t would be good site for d new city hall and police station - which would be substituting one taXfree building for another.
 The Center Congregational church, ol course, is right in the heart of city values. It is perhaps the most conspicuous instance of a church occupying a very valuable site - something analogous to Trinity church in New York. There can be no doubt the church could be moved with a distinct gain to both the city and public.
 The old Burritt school building is on a valuable location, which has yielded no taxes to the city for many years. But this condition may be changed If the school committee finally sells the site, as 1t is under stood Is planned, but which should not be done too quickly, as pre- pointed out In these col Imns. The city may be able 10 use he site itself in the future, and .eally, 1t isn't necessary that every site in the downtown sec lon be occupied by, private prop ,