Columbia University Libraries Digital Collections: The Real Estate Record

Real estate record and builders' guide: [v. 95, no. 2456: Articles]: April 10, 1915

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REAL ESTATE AND ^^ BUILDERS NEW YORK, APRIL 10, 1915 iiiliillliiliBliiiiH^ HOW PORT DEVELOPMENT IS HINDERED Shoals Block the Way to Piers for Deep Draught Vessels So Factories and Warehouses Cannot be Built There By CYRUS C, MILLER illlliillliillliiiiiilllii IF the charge were made against the city that it did not pursue business methods in the development of its own resources, probably a prompt contra¬ diction would come from the average citizen, who would say that the city is spending too much money on the de¬ velopment of its resources". It is a fact that the city has neglected for many years the perfectly obvious development which could be made at a comparatively small cost, and which would result in enormous increases in taxable values. This is the development of certain of its waterways, which will be followed by renewed life and activity in those sec¬ tions of the city which are losing their value because the water ways adjacent to them are not suitable for modern traffic needs. The city has not brought to bear on Congress the force that it could, nor has it spent its own money to effect this increasingly necessary work. To meet commercial needs the depth of the channel in the East River must be made at least 35 feet. The trafiic of the East River is enor¬ mous. Every obstruction in the channel or to access to the piers makes the handling of the freight on the river more hazardous and more expensive, thus affecting the interests of the whole city, and indeed, of the whole country. In the decade from 1871 to 1880 the value of the imports and exports of the port of New York as compared to those of the United States was 55.7 per cent; from 1881 to 1890, 55.1 per cent.; from 1891 to 1900, 49.6 per cent.; from 1901 to 1910, 45.9 per cent., and from 1911 to 1913, 46.2 per cent., showing a gradual decrease. This article, however, is designed more particularly to direct attention to the evil effect which these obstructions have on the development of the water front, especially on the East River, and the decrease in assessable values of neigh¬ boring property. A glance at the map of the city will show that off the Battery are two shoals which interfere with ingress and egress of deep vessels to and from the shore. The larger and more important of these shoals will cost approximately $777,223, to remove, and the other $149,490. Obstructions in the Hudson. On the West Side from the neighbor¬ hood of Pier 48 at Perry Street to Pier 62 at 22nd street, is a bar which should be dredged so as to give access to the piers in that vicinity. This will cost $502,800. This is about the only work of the kind necessary to do on the West Side, but following the course of the East River from the Battery we find that on the Brooklyn side from Washing¬ ton street to Hudson avenue, is a shoal along the shore v/hich should be re¬ moved to give access to that locality. This will cost approximately $31,066. East River Shoals. On the Manhattan side between Gouverneur Slip and Corlears Hook is a shoal which interferes with traffic in the main channel. This would cost ap¬ proximately $451,058 to remove. Further north in the middle of the East River HON. CYRUS C. MILLER. 1 unning from a point about opposite Rivington street to a point opposite East llth street is a bar which is very troublesome to river traffic for large boats. This would cost approximately $163,396 to remove. Along the shore front from Grand street north to East 32d street is a shoal which prevents access for larger vessels to all the piers within that dis¬ trict, a distance of approximately a mile. This will cost $1,332,000 to remove. In the middle of the river likewise, between East 34th street and East 43d street, is a shoal which interferes greatly with the channel traffic. It will cost approxi¬ mately $1,030,622 to remove. On the opposite side cf the river from Newtown Creek to Mallet's Cove, along the Long Island City waterfront is a shoal which must be removed before the waterfront values can be increased. This would cost $1,966,928. On the Manhattan side again, from East 63d street to East SSth street, along the shore front is a shoal which will cost $450,000 to remove. Outside the pier-head line between East 91st street and East 93d street is a shoal which will cost $141,579 to re¬ move. In the Hell Gate Channel be¬ tween Astoria and Ward's Island are the rocks which the Government has been removing Ior years. The remaining ob¬ structions are a great menace to the through trafiic. They will cost $2,936,231 to remove. Further north between the Sunken Meadow and the Long Island shore in mid-channel is a shoal which will cost $2,768,311 to remove. East of Port Morris thc dredging will cost ai.proximately $1,124,719. These items and some others might be classified as follows: 1. To provide a channel 35 feet deep at mean low water... $8,616,780 2. To give access to wharves. 2,129,458 3. East Channel Blackwell's Island .................... 2,652,281 Total......................$13,398,519 They are for the work which the Fed¬ eral Government undertakes in its de¬ velopment of the navigable waterways about the city. P. might be conteided that the city is not responsibie for such work and siiould nc( troubie itselr about it, but for every day that parses with such obstructions iu the rivers about the city, a loss to the trafiic of the Port of New York occurs which is too great when we consider the relatively small amount of the money required for the work. The State of New York con¬ tributes much to the national treasury and the city should be unflagging in its attempts to have Congress make the necessary appropriations. Colonel Will¬ iam M. Black, U. S. A. Engineer Corps and Engineer in charge of the First New York District has been insistent in urg¬ ing the development of the port. On the Harlem. On the Harlem River it will be neces¬ sary to continue the Harlem Ship Canal from its present teriiiinus ease of the Johnson Foundry in a straight line west to the Hudson River. Arrangements are being made by the United States Gov¬ ernment, the Stat'.; of New York, and the City of New York for this work. The pier of Highbridge is a great menace to trafiic and must be removed, and the channel of the Bronx Kills which lies between Randall's Island and the Bronx shore, must be deepened. An examination of the parts of the city on the East River where shoals prevent access to the piers will show that as modern deep draught vessels are unable to use the piers, the steamship lines have been moving to the North River. Factories and warehouses which naturally would accompany the steam¬ ships on the East River, are being abandoned and there is a very marked decrease in the valu'^s of property all along the river front on the East River from the Battery to 34th street. Financial Considerations. .rhe amount of money necessary for the Federal Government to deepen the channels and for the city to secure ac¬ cess to the piers is insignificant com¬ pared to the tremendous increase in values which would follow immedi¬ ately upon the development of the East River water front. This increase in tax revenue would relieve property in other parts of the city. For the past twenty-five years the at¬ tention of the financeers of the county has been concentrated on the develop¬ ment of railroads. The opening of the Panama Canal and the opportunity for participation by the United States in the trade of the world will force upon the public mind the necessity of developing our shipping. The Port of New York must be made ready to accommodate the increased trade which will come through it as the gateway of the continent. It is fair to the city to say that prob¬ ably it would do its part of the work if the Federal Government would carry on the work herein shown to be so necessary, but it could do no more valu¬ able work than to urge upon the Federal Government the immediate necessity of developing the port facilities of the city by the improvements herein enumerated.