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Real estate record and builders' guide: [v. 96, no. 2491: Articles]: December 11, 1915

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REAL ESTATE NE'W YORK, DECEMBER 11, 1915 ■■■■■■■■■■■■■■^^^^ WEST SIDE TERMINAL PLANS CRYSTALLIZING linB The Comptroller Gives an Outline—A Tunnel Under Riverside Park—Terminal Facilities at Manhattanville in New Location IWlMaiiaMBMMFilMBIIilMM^ THE Port and Terminal Committee, of which Comptroller Prendergast is chairman, has partly unfolded to the pub¬ lic the plans which it has in mind for the West Side terminal improvements, which are to result in stopping the surface op¬ eration of railroad tracks. The information came in an informal statement from the Comptroller, reply¬ ing to a public outgiving on the subject by Borough Presiaent Marks containing statements to which the Comptroller took exception. In the course of his remarks, which appeared in but one morning paper, Borough President Marks had said that ever since he had become a member of the Port and Terminal Committee the charge had been repeatedly made that the city authorities alone were respon¬ sible for the continuance of the surface operation of the railroad. A Borough President's Resolve. "I made up my mind," continued Mr. Marks, "that so far as the representa¬ tive of the Borough of Manhattan was concerned that accusation could not be established. "I have day in and day out fought to remedy conditions which permit a steam railway to operate on the surface of Manhattan streets and thus menace life and limb. I have repeatedly demanded the production of such plans as the city may have. I have seen many. But the Terminal Committee has not acted and there seems to have been little disposi¬ tion to act promptly. "I have had the most positive assur¬ ances from the attorney of the New Iork Central that its plans are ready and have been for some time. He also tells me there is no financial problem in the way of solving the difficulty. "He assures me that the Central is prepared to go ahead with the proposed improvements so soon as it can agree with the city upon a general plan. It is time that that plan should be submit¬ ted and the task of getting rid of the tracks begun. I shall do everything within my power to remedy these intol¬ erable conditions, no matter if I stand alone." At the same time it was said that President Marks would submit to the Port and Terminal Committee on De¬ cember IS a plan on which his chief en¬ gineer, Mr. Goodrich, was working. A very brief outline of the plan was given. The Comptroller Explains. Whether President Marks was mis¬ quoted or not, Ihe publication served to draw the fire of Comptroller Prender¬ gast, the present chairman of the com¬ mittee, who explained that after a meet¬ ing of. the citizens from the VVest Side in his office last summer, he (the chair¬ man) had suggested that all the plans that had been under consideration should be referred to a committee of engineers consisting of Mr. Goodrich of the Man¬ hattan Borough office and Mr. Sullivan of the bureau of contract supervision. _ "There was no idea that Mr. Good¬ rich in thus serving was representing the Borough of Manhattan," says Mr. Prendergast. "The work has been done COMPTROLLER PRENDERGAST. Chairman Port and Terminal Committee. by Mr. Goodrich and Mr. Sullivan jointly. Mr. Sullivan deserves just as much credit for it as Mr. Goodrich." A Glimpse at the Revised Plan. The net result to the public in the controversy is the insight which the Comptroller gives into the plan which the committee is evolving (so far as it lias been perfected) from all those wliich have been submitted for its con¬ sideration. Tlie final report of the Prendergast committee when ready for the Board of Estimate will be printed for circulation and will be the subject of public hear¬ ings, as was the report of the Mitchel committee. It is expected to embody an a.greement reached with tlie New 'V'ork Central Railroad Company. From the outline whicli the Comptrol¬ ler gives it will be noted that for the sec¬ tion between S9th street on the north and 30th street on the south, no solu¬ tion has yet been decided on. For this section the Mitchel committee proposed a subway. In respect to tlic tracks north of 59th street it is the present thought of the committee to put them in a tunnel throu.gh Riverside Park and leave the waterfront entirely free. Between 126th street and 145th the main line will be elevated, but situated west of the exist¬ ing viaduct, and with terminal facilities both east and west of the main line. This seems from the brief description to cor¬ respond in part at least with recommen¬ dations made by Engineer Bolton on behalf of the West Side civic associa¬ tions last summer. Outline of the Plan. "The Comptroller says the plan being formulated is about as follows: "Beginnin.g at a point tan.gent to the present tracks just north of the Ship Canal at Spuyten Duyvil the right of way will continue southerly on a bridge over the Ship Canal through Inwood Hill in a tunnel, continuing Just to the east of the Magdalene Home, crossing Dyckman street on an elevated struc¬ ture which will be so designed as to be concealed urider or become a part of the proposed Riverside Drive viaduct over the Dyckman street valley; continuing southerly the tracks would be in tunnel on a down grade and again joining the present right of way along the water¬ front about opposite 190th street. Through Ft. Washington Park. "South of 190th street the tracks would continue along the present right of way, two of them continuing through the present cut in Fort Washington Park and two to be diverted to a loca¬ tion easterly of the present cut in Fort Washington Park through a tunnel. "South of Fort Washington Park and at a point about 157th street the right of way would be moved somewhat to the west but not so far west as the estalD- lished bulkhead line. "From lS7th street and the portal of the tunnel at the southerly end of Fort Washington Park it is proposed at some future time so to cover the tracks as to provide a continuation of Riverside Drive roadway. "From ISSth street south to a point near 140th street it is proposed that at some future time the tracks will be so covered as to permit of the extension of tlie park to the water's edge. Partly Covered Yards at Manhattanville. "From 140th street south to the south¬ erly end of the Riverside Drive viaduct (near 126th street) it is proposed to carry the main line tracks on an ele¬ vated structure just west of the exist¬ ing Riverside Drive viaduct and to pro¬ vide between 140th and 130th streets adequate terminal facilities both east and west of the proposed location of the main line tracks. These terminal facil¬ ities will be partly covered so as not to destroy the general appearance of the park and partly open to provide the necessary freight facilities for this sec¬ tion of the city. Tunnel Through Riverside Park. "From 128th street south to Seventy- second street the right of way will con¬ tinue under the present park space of Riverside Drive, the greater portion of the distance to be constructed by the tunnel method, which will not only per¬ mit of substantial foundations for the railroad, but a permanent solution of the railroad facilities for this district. "It will not materially interfere with the use of the park facilities during the period of construction nor will it inter¬ fere with the operation of the present limited railroad facilities during the pe¬ riod of construction. "Further, it will restore to the city full jurisdiction of the water front Ihrou.gh- out this stretch, inasmuch as the plan provides for the restriction of dock facil¬ ities to the neighborhoods of Ninety- sixth and Seventy-ninth streets and the