Columbia University Libraries Digital Collections: The Real Estate Record

Real estate record and builders' guide: [v. 89, no. 2301]: April 20, 1912

Text version:

^d^m APRIL 20, 1912 PLANS TO EXTEND BROOKLYN'S EASTERN PARKWAY The Maiter Is Before the Board of Estimate, Which Is Expected to Act On It Soon—The Street Has Been Chosen As a Subway Route. C ASTERN PARKWAY, which was *—' last week flnally determined upon as the course of a subway route as far easl as Buffalo aveiiue, is the widest thor¬ oughfare in Brooklyn, and when it wa.s laid out in ISliS) it was intended to make it to Brooklyn what Commonwealth ave¬ nue is to Boston, a beautifully parkea boulevard and private residence street; but it never attained the residential Status intended for it. The thoroughfare was built practically in conjunction with the laying: out of Prospect Park, from whence it starts and passes througii Brooklyn from the Park Slope to the heights of East Xew York. Originally the Parkway extended only as far as Ralph avenue, a distance of two and a half miles, and it cost $.3,000,000 to build; but, inaiiy years later, two and :i halt miles more were added to it from Ralph avenue to Highland Park at a cost of $1,300,000. From Prospect Park to Ralph avenue. Eastern Parkway is lined with heavy foliaged shade trees. It is 2i0 feet wide, with a broad central driveway for carriages and autoinobiles Long Island Sound to Coney Island. At any rate the attitude of the cemetery corporation is halting a great public im¬ provement that would add much to the taxable value.s of Brooklyn and Queens, and incidentally make the unused lands of the cemetery more accessible. So de¬ ter miined were the cemetery authorities to frustrate an invasion of it that a num¬ ber of bodies were burled along the liise of the proposed route of the parkway, but it has been a question if the ceme¬ tery's action in this matter would be up¬ held. This proposed extension is in a northeast direction. Another ej:tension of Eastern Park¬ way, in a southeast and easterly direc¬ tion froui Buffalo avenue, has been pro¬ posed by the Brooklyn League, and that proposition is also under consideration by the Board of Estimate. The latter route would begin at Eastern Parkway and Lincoln Terrace Park: thence south along Buffalo avenue, to be widened on its east side to East New York avenue; ihence southeast from East New York avenue along the block between East OlJth streel ilies each, or flfteen people to a lot, which means that when the section is a structural entity it will contain 7S0.00O persons. There is a lotal iDf LSO acres figured in the stretch of land proposed to be taken, and if the same acreage was embraced in one city park it would cover only one-half a square mile, ^vhere- as in the elongated form of a parkway it would afford comfort lo a greater number of people and aid properly values in a larger area. In the four square miles of territory south of Atlantic avenue, there is now a total of 200,000 persons and only one public breathing space, Linton Park, containing six acres, and the section is growing rapidly on account of the direct conneclion of the elevated roads and trolley lines wilh two bridges. It is also proposed to join this contem¬ plated exlension of Eastern Parkway with Forest Park by way of Eldert Lane, the line of demarcation between Brooklyn and Queens, making Eldert Lane IGO feet in width. It is argued thai the East New York section of Brooklyn is growing so rapidly that the EASTERN PARKWAY, NEAR KINGSTON AVENUE. HROOKLYN INSTITUTE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES, EASTERN PARKWAV. and a driveway for trucking on either side, with footpaths intervening between them and the main driveway. Lols front¬ ing on this part of the Parkway are of exceptional depth and there is a re¬ striction prohibiting houses from being built within thirty feet of the sidewalk line. From Ralph, avenue east and north lo Bushwick avenue and Highland Park, Eastern Parkway is only 110 feet in width, and there are no building restric¬ tions. It was planned some years ago lo ex- lend Eastern Parkway from Highland Park through the imused grounds of Cy¬ press Hill Cemetery, and connect it with Forest Park in Queens. The cemetery corporation opposed the project, but, nev¬ ertheless, the Legislature gave the city authority lo go through the unused part of the cemetery; but the city has never made the extension because when the matier was to be settled the cemetery wanted to sell its land lo the city at the rate it sells graves. Figured at the rate of $50 a grave, the total cost for land would run into the millions. It is a question whether the cily can condemn cemetery land, whicii is exempt from taxation and usually free from in¬ vasion for olher than cemetery purposes. The maiter is in the hands of the Board of Estimate. IE the further extension of Eastern Parkway is accomplished il wiil result in completely linking the parks and parkways of Brooklyn and Queens and afford an automobile higl)way frojj) and Rockaway Parkway, and curving into Newport avenue; thence east along Newport avenue, to be widened on its south side and across New Lots road; thence east along New Lots road, to be widened along its south side to Vermont avenue, and thence, curving into Hege¬ man avenue; thence east along Hegeman avenue, to be widened on its norlh side to Fountain avenue and curving into Du¬ mont avenue; thence east along Dumont avenue, to be widened on its south side to the boundary line between the bor¬ oughs of Brooklyn and Queens. This would practically join Eastern Parkway to the proposed boulevard to the Rocka¬ ways on a line with Force Tube avenue. The plan is to make this exlension 370 feel wide. The question has been asked whether this improvement would pay the Browns¬ ville section through which it would pass as well as the borough itself? It is be¬ lieved that it would redound to the ad¬ vantage -of the section in question in the form of greater healthfulness. the general elevalion of the neighborhood, and an alleviation of automobile traffic in numerous intersecting streets. It would provide for a recreation center and concourse its whole length and beneflt those who walk as well as ride. This (.xtension would penetrate a densely pop¬ ulated district of Brooklyn, and there are .">0,flO0 -building lots within half a mile of it that are within the scope of quick improvement. The buildings that will be erected there will average three fam- pre.senl is the time, if any, lo create a parkway there, when values are lower than they will ever be again and when the city can acquire land more cheaply than it can half a decade hence. More than 3,000 property owners have petitioned for this improvement, besides numerous boards of trade and prominent citizens of Brooklyn. As the improve¬ ment, if carried out, would aid Queens as well as Brooklyn, it has "been sug¬ gested that Queens could well afford Lo pay part of the assessmeni that would be levied. It is argued that the exten¬ sions of Eastern Parkway are as neces¬ sary to Brooklyn as the extension of Riverside Drive was to Manhatlan; and the engineering difficulties in extending the Parkway would be comparatively in¬ significant because the land is level. Apartments in Brownsville rent al the rate of three to four dollars a month per room. It Is estimated that the ex¬ tension of Eastern Parkway as proposed would add greatly to the taxable re¬ sources of the city by hastenmg build¬ ing operations and improving the char¬ acter of construction. Iu the Orislnnl Seelion. Eastern Parkway, from Prospect Park lo Ralph avenue, was a wilderness of open lots unlil a decade ago, when the borough began to grow toward it. Many of the lots were high above grade, par¬ ticularly on the south .side of the thor¬ oughfare. This part of the parkway was a generation ahead of the movement of