St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1954-05-21
Firm Building So
New Homes Moy
SET u. s. PoffeSn

SET v. ). P0ffeTT
Continued from page ~
tionsi officer Of the Home Build
ers Assn. who incidentally hat
tried. UNNECESSARILY. four year
ago 10 build six tcn-plexcs in ST
Paul that would have been occu
pied on a raciaIly mixed plan.
In TiIsen's 1913 effort mortgag,
ioans were relatively easy TO ge'
but the banks wouldn't o. X. 4
loan for the apartments n theJ
were TO be occupied on a non
segregated plan. They finally a
greed TO approve the loan II thre'
OF the buildings were for whites
and three for coiored, but Tilser
vetoed this.
In the 1854 program II was nee
easary for Mr.. Tilsen to convincs
the FILA and the Veterans admin
istration that such project was
feasible.
Construction Begins
After many conferences both a
gencies gave their OK. and con-
struction was finally started. For
awhile II looked az though the
agencies were dragging their feet.
Most new housing "a FILA or
veteran approved Such approval
means that the federal govern
ment UNDERWRITERS or guarantees a
loan made by a bank or other
lending Institution for a home.
A most significant feature OF
the development Is that because
OF the good neighborhood and the
homes win be reasonably priced,
this win undoubtedly attract n
number OF white families,
Housing surveys made by the
Minneapolis Urban League and
the Joint Committee For Equal
Opportunity showed conclusively
that there liz a definite trend to
increased segregation in housing.
Reason For Good Price
II should be mentioned here in
all fairness TO the sellers and po-
tential buyers. that the reason tho
homes are priced considerably less
than the same quality OF home In
other sections OF the city Is that
for years the land on which some
Of the homes are being construct
ed was thought to be of little
value because OF peat bogs that
were supposed to be in the area.
Boring Reveals Error
However test boring revealed
that only negligible portion OF
the lots were no contaminated and
that II would be economically
feasible TO pile these few lots and
proportion their cost In the over
all project and still own the land
at a considerable saving Tilsen
says that the other major factor
Of the economy price Ia due to
the fact that the home are all
basioally the Same floor plan with
many and varied exterior eieva-
lions. This sameness In the homes
provides for the greatest ccono-
mics In materials and construc-
ton costs. This means that the
builder Is able TO pass on these
savings TO the purchaser.
Three bedrooms
The homes are being built TO
strict FILA specifications and
have steel beams and all contain
three bedrooms
Already large number OF the
homes have been contracted for
and this In the first time In this
area a Negro purchaser has been
able TO take advantage OF the low
down payments and other advant-
ages when homes are advertised
for sale In other sections OF the
city but unobtainable as far as
Negroes are concerned.
People In the real estate bust
ness feel that this project win In
all probability effect the price of
the existing homes In the area
WIN Effect Market
For some time INSCRIPTIONS
real estate firms and statesmen
have exploited the Negro market
by hiking the price Of homes that
Negroes could purchase,
Particularly has this been So In
south Minneapolis. where the price
has been raised sometimes AS
much as a thousand dollars when
offered for sale TO Negro buyers
When the Tilsen homes are
ready, no doub, the price OF other
homes put up for sale VIII drop
10 their real market value
Tilsen Top ~. Paul Builder
I'D Tilsen is reputed 10 be the
largest home builder In St Paul
and II credited for having had q
major part In the development ol
Highland Park. an exclusive resi-,
Dental area In 81. Paul and tn,
complete development OF ESSEX
Park In St paufs Eastside Of
over $50 homes In price rang,
slightly higher than these home,
now available In Minneapolis
He is looked upon by some per,
sons In the home building field as
''neophyte or upstsrt" becaus,
he didn't start In the building
game until 1eis.
But since that time he has wor