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About The Sunday Oregonian. (Portland, Ore.) 1881-current | View Entire Issue (April 16, 1911)
PARKWAYulSRLAN CONSTRUCTION WORK IS WELL ALONG ON FOUR LARGE BUILDINGS. IS URGE THIS YEAR m- Scfiemelfor Beautifying Port land Boulevard Proposed. Portland Leads All Cities of Pacific Coast in New Construction Work. j HIGHWAY IS 100 FEET. WIDE Length Is Two Miles and It Is i Level From One,; End to Other. Property Owners Want to Make - It -Attractive. WILCOX STRUCTURE RISES BUILDING CI - Mrrl Being Placed Kapldlj In 1J Morjr' Edlfk-e si Mlh and Wash ington Malloomah Hold Is nolll Like Fortress. Portland continues to be the building rentrr of the Parlflc Coaat. and inor structures are row under way her even than In Han Kran.-laco. Lam Angeles and fl.attl have fallen far behind. Ptartrd only six wreks ag. the T. B Wllrux building, at the aouthaat coiotr of 8ith and Washington street.. ahowlna rapid pnra. Strrl already liaa bn erected to the accond tory. and from now on. all "III eddrd at tha rata of about tao atorV-a a "t The butldlng ta to ba I! atnrlea hlh. absolutely ftrat -Ua throughout. Tha ranatrurtlon la of at.el framr. and tha fa.rng of gray prea.ed brl.-k. Tha este rlor trim and corn, a lil ba In terra rotta. of a rream abide. Tha flrat flotr will b divided Into five stores, all frmrtlrg on Waahlnston street. Tre e-ond story will be built with lofty ret:ln and glaaa front, and TI a!o ba imed f.r ptorea. whlrh will be reached from tha 8itb-treet entrance. The re-mal.-viier of the building -IU be occupied by offlcra, li room! to '.he fl.T. The Interior la to be of the highest rlasa. The floor and corrldora will be marble tile and the corrldora will have hlKh marblo aralnarot. Tha floors In tha of fice will ba cement. Tha doora. In riow casings and ramn and wood trim throughout wlU be of oak. The elevator aerle la to be a feature, and tlireo fait elevators will be tnntallrd. Multnomah Ilotrl (.rowing. If the Japs ever shell fortland. per sons who etay In the Multnomah Hotel ran rest secure. This building Is being constructed llk a fortress, and It con tains a mass of concrete that It would take dnamlte to dlalodse. Tha whole structure Is being built In the most mas sive and subetantlal manner possible, and If centuries ben'-e n-alty arises for wrecking It. the work will coat more and take as long as It did to erevt the building. The hotel m to cover the bkxk bound ed, by Tine. Ash. Third and , Fourth streets, and will rise to a height of eight torles. The cost will be cloe b St.Oov. Co. esrluslve of the site, whl.-h Is worth, perhaps. soo.Me. The hotel Is to be made first class In every particular, and will embrace tha moat mod.-rn Ideas of hotel construction tha country over. It will contain 530 rooms, of which JoO will be with bath. There will be con vention balls, banquet halls, mens and women s grills, sample rooms for travel ing salesmen and all accessories. I.owengart Hotel Is Hoofed. The Lowengart Hotel, "at Fourteenth and Washington atreets. has reached Its fu'.l height and has been roofed. Par titions are being built, and the Interior finishing and facing will follow rapidly. Tha hotel occupies tha site of tha old Portland Theater, which was torn down last Fall when tha hotel building was commenced. The hotel has a frontage of 100 feet on Washington street, ltf feet on Four teenth and 12 feet on Burnslde. It Is seven stories high on tha Waahlngton street aide and eight stories on Hunt side. There will be a large entrance to the hotel lobby from Washington street. Work of wrecking the old frame building at the northeast comer of Park and Morrison streets, directly across from the site of the new Prince ton Trust building, has been almost completed. The old planks and Joists and beams are being converted Into tovewood and all the pipes and bricks and plumbing material are carefully saved by the wrecking concern. The building was erected by A. 1. Bennett In 1S. Joseph M. Ilealy. who owns the cor ner, baa announced that, be will Imme diately erect a three-story modern building with walls strong enough to carry seven additional stories later. Vxravatlocs for tha foundations will follow closely on the clearing of the site and the new structure will ba built without delay.. High School to Cost $500,000. At th site of tlie new Lincoln High School. wM.-h will rover the full block between Market. M11L Seventh and Park streets, foundation footings are now being set In place. The excava tion of the basement, amounting lo 7400 yards of material, was completed two weeks (. It Is evpeeted that the per mit for the building, which will cost f 100.000. will be Issued from the build ing Inspector's office before the end of April. Construction of the main building for Multnomah Amateur Athletic Club is up to the sub-basemrnt level. The walls for the handBall court are up and the footings have been placed for the squash court. The plumbing and heat ing men are following the builders as fast as opportunity Is made for work. Foundations have been completed for the steel grandstand and work started on the superstructure. The foundation has been completed and the superstructure Is bring erect ed for Mrs. P. N. Ialys three-story building at the northeast corner of Fourth and Jefferson streets. The building Is to be divided Into stores below snd will be occupied as a hotel above. The cost will be about .40.000. I'ourllioase Being- FlnUhed. The exterior construction of the east Uig of Multnomah County's new Courthouse has been completed and the Interior finishing is progressing. It Is expected that the building will be fully completed and occupied by August. Tha building Is six stories high and of very attractive design. As soon as the eaat wing Is completed and occupied; wreck ing of the old Courthouse building will bo commenced, and construction of the west wing will follow immediately. It Is expected that this wing will be erected In less than a year. On the Kast Side, the John Deere Plow Company's building, occupying a half block on the nortn side of East Morrison street between Kast Second and Kast Third, is nearing completion. The brt.k facing has passed the eighth floor and will be finished In a few days. The partitions are being erected and the interior finishing will go ahead without delay. The North. Pacific Pental College building, occupying a half block at Kast Sixth and Oregon streets.' shows marked progress, the concrete con struction having reached half the ulti mate height of the building. Several Important buildings on Grand avenue are going .head. v . i -.:. mmSMSSMeJi ku ,',J - tgIZT"'" " --jll-ssasss.s-- -r " -r-r- ' MANY IN PROSPECT Numerous Skyscrapers Soon to Be Started in Portland. OTHERS TO BE ANNOUNCED List of Large Ilnlldings Already Ivrflnlu-ly I'lannrd r Shows There Will Ite Xo jtrly Ces sation of Construction. Announcement that I. Gevurts A Bon bar obtained a -year leam on tha southeast , comer of Fifth and Alder streets, and that a 12-story building will be erected on the site has been the most Interesting recent building news. Gevurts tt Ifon will not take possession until July 1 next year, and it HI require aas months to erect the building. Plans are being drawn by V hidden & le is. archi tects. The ground la owned by the Henry Falling estate. It la expected that a number of other building enterprises of great Importance will be announced within the next few weeks. With those already announced It Is apparent that the year a ill be a busy one In the building line In Portland. The most Important building to be started this year Is tha 10-story de partment store structure for Lipman. Wolfe Co. It la to occupy the full half block on the west side of Fifth, street between Washington and Alder and will be of first-class construction. Clearing of the site will commence In July, and one year has been allotted for completion of the building. Two thousand tone of steel will be used In the framework and the building will cost 150.000. Besides the 10 floors above the ground there will be a double basement. The building will be faced with terra cotta tile of a light shade. The partition walls and floors will be of hollow tile and concrete. Henry Jennlng & 8ons ere preparing to erect a building of reinforced con crete to occupy the full block between Union and Grand avenues and Kast Gllsan street and the 0--w"i main line. The building will ba thor oughly fireproof and will coat about ftoO.OuO. w Tlieater at Seventh and Alder. Work of removing the old Lyric Theater, at the northwest corner of Seventh and Alder streets, will com mence May 1. and construction of the new vaudeville house to be erected by the Iantages Amusement Company will follow Immediately. Attractive plans have been prepared for the pew playhouse. Just 123 days have been given the contractors. McKae Bros., to buiid the theater, and they will for feit 75 a day for every day after Sep tember that It remains uncompleted. They win likewise receive a bonus of ITS a day If they complete it ahead of the contract date. Robert H. Strong Is building a four story business building at the north east corner of Tenth and Alder streeta which will be a considerable improve ment to that part of the city. It will replace the old Levi White residence, which hag occupied the quarter block for many years. Mr. Strong took a long lease on the ground. The Princeton Trust Company Is pre paring to tart work on the 12-story store and hotel building to be erected at the northwest corner of Park and Morrison atreets at a cost of .225,000. Tho basement and first and second floors will be occupied by a New York specialty house. and the 10 upper floors will be used for hotel purposes. The building Is to be first-class and of reinforced concrete construction. There wlU be 17 rooms. 1J with private bath, on each floor from the third to the twelfth. Inclusive. bjndk-ate Building- to Go Ahead. It is. probable that some arrange ments will be made In the near future for transfer of the lease to the prem ises at the northeast corner of Fourth and Washington streets owned by Mrs. Caroline A. Trimble, so that construc tion of the lJ-story building planned for that site can be proceeded with. Tho syndicate that originally obtained the lease was unablo to finance the of the Raleigh building, at the northwest corner of Sixth and Washington streets, for which plana have been prepared by H. J. Hefty, architect, will go ahead next month. The plans contemplate the addition of two stories and the remodeling of the street floor, which will be converted Into modern stores with front of glass and steel girders. About two months will be required to complete the "work. It Is the Intention of the owners of the Portland Hotel, as soon as the liti gation over the stock Is ended, to be gin the erection of a 12-story annex w hich will occupy the present court In the center of the building. It Is ex Iocted that the work will be com menced by tho latter part of Summer. VALLEY LAND IN DEMAND InDux of Settlor to Cause IUso In Acreage Values. Tl:c "back to the soil" movement is having Its effect In the 'Willamette Val ley, as elsewhere, and Is increasing steadily, according to the management of the Pacific Northwest Development Company, with offlcea in the Couch building, which is handling Washington County lands on a large scale. This com panjr points out that the Influx of East ern people into Oregon will cause a rapid rise -In acreage values, and for this rea son It Muggeslai that now 1b the time for a person of small means to acquire a small tract. Washington County kinds are consid ered productive, and being near to Port land, the state's market center, they offer to small capital a steady income and an independent livelihood. Vege tables, fruius. berries and stock foods are grown successfully without irriga tion. Years ago largo farms were the rule in the 'Willamette Valley and In Wash ington County. Now many of tha large holdings are being subdivided to eutisfy the demand for small tract. This com pany has subdivided and placed on ttie market three large donation claims, and Is cutting up tile Spring Hill Furm, one of the fine farms of Washington County. Kasy terms and low prices on good land is the basis on which this company Is operating, with the result that many sales are reported. Five to ten acres of good land properly worked. It Is said, will support an average family, and will produce a bank account besides. Many customers of thia company have paid for ihelr land out of the crops, and are to day much healthier and happier than formerly when working in mills and factories- NEW ROAD IS BOON Proposed Extension of Ore gon Electric to Boost Values. SECTION NEEDS FACILITIES Hundreds of Thousands of Acres Will Be Opened by Line Along Willamette River to Ter minal at Eugene. 'Through the proposed extension of the Oregon Electric Railway from Sa lem. Its present terminus, to Eugene, which work is promised for completion by the end of the year, several hundred thousand acres of fertile farm land will be brought into close proximity with a number of growing towns and cities In the Willamette Valley and their products will be given the advantage of a competitive market that will make the crops as well as the land Itself of greater value. The new road follows closely the course of the Willamette River, touch ing a number of important towns be- fore enterting Eugene. The largest of I these is Albany. From Albany the course Is almost due south, crossing the river at Harrisburg. Most of this territory Is extensively developed, some of It to such an extent that the presence of argther railroad has become necessary to relieve tha congested situation that develops every year when he crops are to be moved. Some Sections Especially Benefit. Other portions of the valley that will be served by the Oregon Electric have been without ample rail facilities in the past and it is these that will bene fit most from the building of the new line. Anticipating tha construction of the road, real estate dealers along its route have become active and several farm properties aa well as town lots in set tlements south of Salem "have changed hands. A more noticeable activity will develop as soon as the actual con struction work starts. In the Willamette Valley, the same as In other portions of Oregon, many large tracts have been held by Indi vidual owners. The Oregon 'Electric, It is believed, will do much to cause them to be cut up into small farms, large enough for one man to occupy and cultivate. ' - Fruitraisiug long has been an im portant Industry in the-region to be pierced by the new road. Now It promises to become even more, active as a horticultural district. Irrigation Projects Formed. . Several irrigation projects have been formed since the building of the Oregon Electric was announced. Al though there Js an annual rainfall In the valley equal to that of some East ern states in -which successful farm ing Is carried on without irrigation, most . of . it falls in the JVinter, when the ground is Idle. However, under thosa conditions successful crops have been grown; but greatly Increased yields caa be. produced through irriga tion, as has been shown bV experiments conducted by the Federal agricultural department. The most attractive portions of the Oregon JClectric country are those that can, be cultivated without irrigation. There are thousands of acres of such ground that rapidly are being devel oped by natives of the valley, by per aons from other parts of the state and by sottlers who constantly are coming in from the East. During the low-fare 'colonist period just closing the Willamette Valley probably shared a greater Influx of new citizens than any other portion of the state and the strip of territory be tween Salem and Eugene seemed to be an attractive itroposition, as thousands WES TERR of settlers, went to the small towns and country districts included In that belt. , Land in the valley is not selling at high prices, compared with other sec tions of Oregon and similar districts in other states not so highly favored. Farm Sales Reported. ' A. B. Hall, exclusive operator In farms, reports the sale recently of 120 acres three miles from Sclo, for 17800. This land is in a high state of cultiva tion. Mr. Hall also sold a 50-acre tract near Reedvllle to C. O. Johanson for 210,500. This Is an excellent farm. Mr. Hall sold a 10-acre farm at Bonita to H. F. Villiger for 23600. The land Is all cleared and was bought for speculation. TOVER A A residence district that offers every desir able feature for those who are particular. All modern, up-to-date improvements being: in stalled. A view the equal of which few outside of Portland ever see. Building restrictions of 5000 insure the highest class residences. Al most walking distance (some do walk). On the West Side and good car service. A splendid in vestment. Office on the ground or call at our main off ice, Room 6 Board of Trade, and let us take you to the property. Clark-Cook Company Plans are being formulated for crea tion of a central parkway . In-Portland boulevard from Union avenue, westward to the Willamette River. This Idea, if adopted by the City Council, will form a very attractive feature In the pro posed boulevard system of the city, r . Some discussion of this -matter was had . in 1910. but the , Council at that time Indicated Its - disapproval. ... Tha thoroughfare is one of the finest in tha city, being perfectly level, two miles in length, and with a. uniform width between the. points mentioned of 100 feet. Curb lines have been established 20 feet from the property lines,, leaving; 60 feet of roadway. - This it ls pro posed to change in such manner as ta give a 12-foot sidewalk on each sida of , the street. Between these would bo two 30-foot roadways, and between these a 16-foot parkway, in which trees and -plants and flowering shrubs might be set- under- direction of the ; Park; Board. This would form, a very at tractive and distinctively ornamental addition to the boulevard system, it is urged, and would-be a favorite sub urban drive. ; , : ; ' ! ' - Intersections would allow broad turn ing places, SO by 100 feet, while each of the -two roadways ; would - be-' aa broad as the average' boulevarded street.- - " ' ' Rev. Edward Cantwell, of the Ordo of Redemptorist Fathers, whose school and parish buildings adjoin Portland Boulevard on the north between Van couver avenue and" Cleveland avenue, expressed himself before a recent meet-i ing of the Street Committee of tha City Council as'tn favor' of the pro posed plan of beautificatlon. ; ' ' E. Quackenbush, president of ths In vestment Company, which owns Pied mont, controlling almost one-half mile, of frontage along the south side- of the boulevard, as well as numerous other property owners along the avenue, de clared themselves in favor of the Idea at the same meeting. This form of improvement would, tt is claimed by the supporters of the movement, afford an unusual and verr beautiful type of boulevard, Rnd would prove an attraction which, tha city might' add among its many fine resi dential districts. . .. , W. K. Smith., Jr., president of tha Ukase Investment Company, and S. M. Venard, one of the prominent residents west, of Vancouver avenue on the north side of the street, both express them selves as favorable to the plan. Pres ent improvement of the newly acquired city park, which lies on the south sida of the boulevard, will make it one of tha handsomest places of recreation' in the city, and it is thought by the own ers that this form of roadway will still further enhance the utility and attract-. Iveness of the park., r r Petitions will' be circulated,, asking tha City Council to establish :the road way as Indicated, and It is expected that a general signature - of , property, owners will be securcd.r.. ; -y..n , : - .., - ! . 11 Profit Made' on Quick Turn. Portland bfTers exceptional opportuni ties for profits from quick turns of real estate. An example of i this was af forded last week by the sale of a piece of ground on tho west side of Thir teenth ' street : near Jefferson,- 73 by 100 feet, by M. E-'Lee, to Arthur L. Fin ley, for $25,000u 1 Mr. Lee made a profjlt of 13500 after holding the ground oialy a few weeks, having bought It little over a month ago from E. Quackenbush for '$21,500.. -There is : a; large, frame house on the ground, which was -occupied iy Mr. Quackenbush for .many; years as his regldence. G E