Columbia University Libraries Digital Collections: The Real Estate Record

Real estate record and builders' guide: [v. 92, no. 2382]: November 8, 1913

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REAL ESTATE BUILDERS AND NEW YORK, NOVEMBER, 8, 1913 iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii......iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitaiiiiH^^^^^^^^ 1 1 ITHE new importance of 149TH STREET* The Proposed Harlem River Market—Public Buildings and More Railroad Stations Will Make It a Great Civic Artery — Details of the Market Plan—Two Groups of Buildings. Ill ■■■■IIIIIH llllliiliilllliil Ifii NO more useful public service, no one thing that would at this epoch help more eflfectively to build up a large territory, could be recommended than the construction of a puljlic market so situated and ordered as to be an instru¬ mentality for providing foodstuffs at the minimum cost. In advance of the completion and presentation of the report of the Mayor's Market Commission, of which Borough President Miller of the Bronx is chair¬ man, and John Purroy Mitchel and George Mc.\neney are the other mem¬ bers, it is known that the erection of new public markets will be recommend¬ ed for the north side of the Harlem River at 149th street, at Greenpoint and at St. George, as well as at or near the tion lines to its vicinity, and in shaping the lower West Side into a great whole¬ sale center, will readily accept the pre¬ diction that the Harlem River Market will have a similar power over its neigh¬ borhood. But tlie Harlem river must be straightened, the Bronx kills dredged and two of the piers of High Bridge must be removed in order to give com¬ merce free play. A Strategical Point. The Record and Guide has often read the horoscope of 149th street. It is going to be one of the most useful thoroughfares in the borough. Only a few days ago the United States Gov¬ ernment took title to the remaining part of the site intended for a Federal build- proved, it is entirely probable that a number of small steamboat lines briijg- ing supplies from the Hudson River counties and Sound ports will find land¬ ing places if not terminals on the Har¬ lem when they have been driven away from the lower West Side. Layout of the Site. The market has been divided into: (1) A general freight yard of 6.55 acres, to be used for storing and switch¬ ing cars and for unloading directly from cars to trucks or drays, or vice versa. (2) .A. section under one group .of buildings where the cars are brought alongside of broad unloading platforms of ample capacity. Broad driveways be¬ tween these platforms will enable SV'-^^^-^ '.5-. 'v.' S^^..-i^;|%k.; : i^..^..tmi-c~ i^.' .„^- -^Ji-,,-,.*,"*'^'^"^" UK't^X^ ■■''it''-'' '''•^-^'^'- ■''''"Jl^'v^'i'/X:' TBi"ISS^ V \ In the report which the Mayor's Market Com present Gansevoort Market in Manhat¬ tan and Wallabout Market in Brooklyn. The first plans to come out will be for the Harlem River Market, as these are to serve as a model for the others. The site will have railroad yards capable of accommodating four hundred cars, a power house to supply refrigeration, heat and light, shedded piers, platforms and buildings fitted for wholesale mer¬ chandising of many and various lines of supplies. The river frontage will ex¬ tend from the 149th Street Bridge to Central Bridge, and there will be 18.5 and 9.75 acres in the two parcels which the commission purpose that thc city shall acquire. Every part of the premises will be connected by car tracks and other facilities for expeditious hand¬ ling of goods. The Situation and Surroundings. As this market is to be superior in size and usefulness to any other in the whole city, it is bound to have a marked effect upon real estate in its neighbor¬ hood. Our older readers who can re¬ call the magnetic influence of Wash¬ ington Market in attracting transporta- PROPOSED HARLEM RIVER MARKET, mission will make a site for this market on the Bridge is recommended. ing. at the corner of Mott avenue, op¬ posite the present subway station, where the Lexington avenue subway crosses. Close by, where the Ne,w York Cen¬ tral lines cross 149th street, there will be a railroad station for through pas¬ sengers and freight. These several cir¬ cumstances will of themselves make 149th street a great center, and there is a strong probability that the new county buildings will be erected in the vicinity also. The combination of river and railroad terminals, brid.ges, market and public buildings, will be an irresistible real es¬ tate factor. Because everywhere else such a combination has been the mak¬ ing of a great civic center. The pro¬ posed industrial railroad, which the city will some time build, will pass by the market and link together Pennsylvania and New York Central lines, as well as the Bronx terminals of the New Haven, Tersey Central, Lehigh Valley and other lines. It is also apparent that by the use of the bridges the market will be available to a large section of Manhat¬ tan Borough as well as the Bronx. With the navigability of the river im- Harlem between 149th Street Bridge and Central wagons to remove so much of the goods as is not intended to be stored in the Ijuildin.g above. Elevators and stair¬ ways are provided for transferring goods from these platforms to the floors above for sale or for cold or other stor¬ age. (3) .\ section under the other group of buildings where the tracks run along platforms which cannot be reached di¬ rectly by wagons but from which nu¬ merous elevators can remove the goods rapidly to the upper floors. The floors on the street level of the buildings in this group are devoted to stalls where .goods may be exposed for sale and where buyer and seller can come to¬ .gether, sample the goods, and buy in smaller quantities than would probably be handled in the other .group of build¬ ings, which are devoted to the handling of .goods sent on consignment. Ex¬ terior street will be carried on a viaduct through the market, with ramps con¬ necting down to the present track level. Two Groups of Buildings. The upper or street level contains the power plant, which spans the railroad