CORNELL 
 
 UNIVERSITY 
 
 LIBRARY 
 
 GIFT OF 
 
 Regional Plan 
 Association 
 
 FINE ARTS 
 
Cornell University Library 
 NAC 6827 .A32A25 
 
 Report of Committee 
 
 of the 
 
 Albany Chamber of Commerce 
 
 appointed to suggest a plan 
 
 for the 
 
 Improvement of the River Front 
 
 November 14, 191 1 
 
 Committee 
 
 EDMUND N. HUYCK 
 JAMES H. PERKINS 
 ANDREW THOMPSON 
 
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To The Board of Directors, 
 
 Albany Chamber of Commerce, 
 
 Albany, N. Y. 
 
 Gentlemen : — 
 
 As a special Committee, appointed to examine the river front problem, we respectfully 
 submit the following report: 
 
 A careful study of the movement for the development of the river front which began about 
 ten years ago, which has been dealt with at some length by a Commission appointed by the 
 Chamber of Commerce in 1907, and by Mayor McEwan in his last annual message to the Common 
 Council: the study of various state and city laws that have been enacted, and plans that have 
 been suggested, (especially the very complete drawings, recommendations and suggestions 
 of Mr. Marcus T. Reynolds and Mr. Wallace Greenalch); consultations with those who have 
 given this subject the most serious thought and attention and whose interests are most vitally 
 affected by the proposed improvements, have convinced us that the subject should be approached 
 from the following points of view and in the order named: 
 
 First: The public health and sanitary conditions of the river; 
 
 Second : The commercial utility of the river front and that part of the city adjacent to it ; 
 
 Third: The improved appearance of the locality under consideration. 
 
 The plan submitted by Mr. Greenalch seems to us to represent in a general way, the 
 result of the gradual evolution of the river front idea and with certain changes made during 
 the last two months, it forms the basis on which our recommendations are made. 
 
 THE PUBLIC HEALTH AND SANITARY CONDITIONS OF THE RIVER 
 
 We believe the problem of improving the sanitary conditions of the basin and the river 
 front generally will be entirely settled by the construction of the proposed intercepting sewer 
 which will do away with the discharge of sewage into the river in front of the city, and by 
 certain changes connected with the basin, which we shall recommend. 
 
 COMMERCIAL UTILITY OF THE RIVER FRONT AND THAT PART OF THE 
 
 CITY ADJACENT TO IT 
 
 The solution of this phase of the problem, we consider the most important part of our 
 work and have approached the question with the belief that any plan which beautifies but 
 does not recognize the necessity for such treatment of the matter must be a failure. 
 
 The present well-known conditions are these: 
 
 The docks along the whole front of the city are in a dilapidated condition. A large part 
 of the basin and of the water front south from the basin are so filled up, as to be entirely useless. 
 
 The passenger facilities of the railroads are totally inadequate ; the station yard of the 
 New York Central has been too small since it was first built ; local trains have had to be taken 
 off and so important a train as the Twentieth Century is delayed every day from ten to thirty 
 minutes owing to the congestion in the local yards. 
 
 At the present time the trains of the Delaware & Hudson, and West Shore railroads come 
 through the city at grade and have only one track available at the Union Station. For several 
 
days every year, the trains of these two roads can not approach the station on account of high 
 water and at these periods it becomes necessary to transfer passengers from a point south of 
 the Peoples Line dock to the Union Station. 
 
 For the past twenty-five years or more, freight terminals of the* railroads in Albany have 
 been most inconveniently located, dangerous of approach and so cramped that proper develop- 
 ment has been impossible. There is not a freight house at the present time that can be 
 approached without the crossing of dangerous tracks. The Delaware & Hudson maintains 
 two freight houses; one at Livingston Avenue, in the extreme north of the city, and the other 
 at Church Street, at the extreme south. The New York Central freight house is located 
 several hundred feet from the freight office, where bills must be paid before shipments can 
 be released. The street's connecting these freight houses are congested and badly paved. 
 Under these conditions a large amount of time must necessarily be lost by the great bulk of 
 Albany merchants and manufacturers in collecting or shipping less than carload freight. 
 
 At the present time there is no adequate trolley terminal at the foot of State Street, a 
 condition which makes congestion and consequent delays at this point unavoidable. We 
 feel that this is one of the conditions which most needs remedy. 
 
 Intimately connected with the unsatisfactory trolley situation is the condition of the 
 streets in this locality and its effect on street traffic. State Street below Broadway is narrow 
 and at an angle with the rest of the street. Broadway, south of State Street, is so narrow 
 that at certain points it is impossible for a trolley car and a loaded truck to pass and, in fact, 
 there is no street, leading from State Street south, capable of properly taking care of the 
 necessary teaming. 
 
 At this time there is no public dock along the river front between the Livingston Avenue 
 bridge on the north and the South Ferry Street bridge on the south; so that all bulk material 
 arriving in Albany by boat must in most cases be carted a long distance. The handling of 
 
 such material is unnecessarily expensive owing to the lack of proper facilities. 
 
 * 
 
 RECOMMENDATIONS 
 
 A resume of existing conditions has convinced us that a remedy can only be found in a 
 radical and far-reaching plan of development, necessitating a liberal attitude on the part of 
 all those interested and we believe that any plan which will improve the passenger and freight 
 facilities of the city and at the same time do away with the present disgraceful appearance 
 of our water front will inure to the benefit of every citizen of Albany and add to the civic 
 pride of the city. With this idea in mind we make the following recommendations : — 
 
 PASSENGER TRAFFIC 
 
 To remedy the existing passenger traffic conditions it should be made possible for the 
 New York Central Railroad to increase the size of its station yards from seven passenger tracks 
 as at present to at least fourteen. The present track next the platform on the lower level, 
 used by both the Delaware & Hudson and West Shore railroads, should be abandoned 
 and these roads should enter the city by an elevated structure from the south of the city, 
 joining the upper level on the curve of the Maiden Lane bridge, far enough east so that 
 the crossover would make all of the tracks in the station yard available for the trains 
 of these roads. 
 
FREIGHT TRAFFIC 
 
 To improve existing freight conditions, it should be made possible for the New York 
 Central Railroad to construct a large, well-arranged, modern freight house, east of the station 
 yard, between Maiden Lane and Columbia Street, abandoning the present freight house above 
 Orange Street. 
 
 It should be made possible for the Delaware & Hudson Company to construct a similar 
 freight house on the property which it now owns between State Street on the south, Dean 
 Street on the west, and Maiden Lane on the north, abandoning the present freight houses at 
 Church Street and at Livingston Avenue. 
 
 It should be understood that these freight houses will not be freight yards for the storage 
 of cars, but will be buildings, with tracks alongside of platforms for the receipt and delivery 
 of freight in less than carload lots. 
 
 The quick and convenient delivery of such freight is only less important than that of 
 express matter, and the saving in cost of trucking to the citizens of Albany by the convenient 
 location of these freight houses, as here recommended, would amount to thousands of dollars 
 in the course of a year. 
 
 Taking the Capitol as about the geographical centre of Albany at the present time, a 
 truckman in obtaining two freight shipments — one from Livingston Avenue and one from 
 Church Street freight houses — of the Delaware & Hudson Company, and returning to the 
 Capitol would travel four and one-half miles. If he could obtain both shipments at a freight 
 house located as suggested above, he would travel but one mile, making a saving of three and 
 one-half miles. 
 
 By reference to the plan it will be seen that in the proposed freight house of the Delaware 
 & Hudson Company, the tracks and cars will be entirely screened from view from every direc- 
 tion. On the State Street side by the proposed trolley and express terminal and by the large 
 office building the Delaware & Hudson Company proposes to erect; on the Dean Street side, 
 by buildings between Dean Street and Broadway; and from the river side, by the elevated 
 structure of the Delaware & Hudson tracks and by the Maiden Lane bridge. 
 
 The changes contemplated in this plan will necessitate the removal of the present carload 
 delivery yard used by the Delaware & Hudson between Hamilton Street and the Steamboat 
 Square. The Delaware & Hudson Company now owns nearly all of the property from Madison 
 Avenue south to South Ferry Street, west of Broadway and east of Church Street, and we 
 believe that it should have an opportunity of making this area a yard for the delivery of car- 
 load freight to wagons. 
 
 We recommend that for this purpose, the short blocks between Broadway and Church 
 Street, of Bleecker, Herkimer, South Lansing, Westerlo and John Streets, be closed by the 
 city. These streets are of little or no value and their closing would remove five grade cross- 
 ings on the freight tracks of the Delaware & Hudson Company, which must, as everyone under- 
 stands, remain at street level. 
 
 We recommend that the Delaware & Hudson be allowed to use the area, between Madison 
 Avenue, Broadway, South Ferry and Church Streets, as such a freight yard, described above 
 and as shown on the plan, providing it will build between this yard and South Ferry Street, 
 Broadway and Madison Avenue, a concrete or brick wall of attractive design, to the height 
 of a box car so that the cars standing in the yards will be entirely screened from view from the 
 east, north and south. 
 
We also recommend that the east side of Church Street from Pruyn Street south be deeded 
 to the Delaware & Hudson Company by the city, leaving, as shown in the plan, a paved drive 
 way twenty feet wide, and that a wall be built by the Delaware & Hudson Company between 
 this street and its tracks located on the strip of land thus deeded to it, so that all danger to 
 traffic on Church Street will be removed. 
 
 If these changes are made the tracks of the Delaware & Hudson Company, except at 
 street intersections, will be located entirely on private right of way from South Ferry Street 
 to Maiden Lane and between these points the grade crossings of the freight tracks will be 
 reduced from fifteen (the present number) to six. 
 
 CHANGES TO THE BASIN AND DOCKS 
 
 Reference to the plan will show that the changes which we have recommended can only 
 be effected by filling in the basin to the new bulkhead line established by the law of 1906. 
 Not only is this made necessary by the widening of the station yard and the building of the 
 new freight houses of the New York Central and Delaware & Hudson Company, but by the 
 necessity of locating the proposed elevated structure which will contain the passenger tracks 
 of the Delaware & Hudson and the West Shore railroads, far enough to the east, so that it will 
 connect with the New York Central tracks at a point on the curve of the Maiden Lane bridge, 
 which will make it possible to switch all trains onto any tracks in the yard and also by the new 
 location of the north and south through freight tracks of the Delaware & Hudson Company, 
 which must pass at grade east of the passenger station. 
 
 The filling in of the basin to the new bulkhead line will also make the entire remaining 
 portion of the basin available for dockage and harbor purposes, as the new basin, once dredged 
 and with no more sewage discharged into it, will be kept clean by the current of the river. By 
 this filling in no dock frontage will be destroyed and the harbor area with deep water will be 
 . greater than at the present time, when a large portion of the basin is so filled up that it is not 
 navigable even for small boats. 
 
 We therefore recommend that the basin be filled in to this new bulkhead line and that a 
 new concrete dock and a new Quay Street along this dock, be built from the south end of the 
 Columbia Street pier on the north, running thence west to the new bulkhead line and south 
 along this bulkhead line, to the Rensselaer bridge; also that a concrete bridge be erected from 
 this new dock to the State Street pier. That the work of filling in and the building of the 
 concrete dock north of the centre bi Maiden Lane along the west side of the basin to the north 
 limit of the new bulkhead line, thence along the north end of this bulkhead line to the river 
 front, thence south to the end of the Columbia Street pier, as shown in the plan, be done by 
 the New York Central at its own expense and that the dock thus built and the street which 
 would be a new Quay Street, paved at the expense of the New York Central be deeded to the 
 city. By the Law of 1906, the New York Central must build a concrete dock from Columbia 
 Street north to the Livingston Avenue bridge before 19 16. 
 
 We recommend that the work of filling in to the new bulkhead line, and the building of 
 the concrete dock south of the centre of Maiden Lane, extending to the dock front now occupied 
 by the Hudson Navigation Company, be done by the Delaware & Hudson Company at its own 
 expense and that the concrete dock and the street along this dock, being the new Quay Street, 
 be deeded by it to the city. 
 
The Hudson Navigation Company now owns the dock front occupied by it, with the 
 exception of a small portion owned by the city at the foot of Hodge Street. By the exten- 
 sion of the dock front to the line, as shown on the plan, which varies slightly from the new 
 bulkhead line, this company will gain a strip of land along this dock front of only ten or twelve 
 feet in width, but it will gain from the general improved conditions and from the additional 
 trolley facilities in this part of the city. 
 
 In this case, we recommend that the city build a new concrete dock along the line of the 
 property occupied by the Hudson Navigation Company and do the necessary filling, and that 
 the Hudson Navigation Company deed to the city, the property now owned by it and receive 
 from the city a long term lease of this property at a fair rental; also that the Hudson 
 Navigation Company construct on the land leased from the city new freight sheds, office 
 buildings and waiting rooms, attractive in appearance and large enough for all the needs of 
 its traffic. 
 
 Mr. Perkins wishes it understood that he is a director of the Hudson Navigation Company 
 and that he has given no advice regarding the improvements so far as they concern the prop- 
 erty of this company and that these recommendations are made by the other two members 
 of the Committee. 
 
 The Commission appointed by the Chamber of Commerce in 1907, recommended that 
 the property between Madison Avenue, Broadway and the Rensselaer bridge and the river 
 should be acquired by the city and added to Riverside Park. The Commission also recom- 
 mended that the dock front from Madison Avenue south to the Rensselaer bridge be improved 
 by the building of a concrete dock by the city, this dock front to be leased by the city for 
 various river passenger or freight purposes. 
 
 We are entirely in accord with this recommendation as it will not involve any considerably 
 increased cost to the city and will be of material importance in the improvements which we 
 shall recommend for the widening of Broadway and bettering the approaches to the Rensse- 
 laer bridge. 
 
 The 1907 Commission also recommended that the city purchase the dock from the Rensse- 
 laer bridge south to Island Creek and build a concrete dock along this property. The advis- 
 ability of the city building such extension of these docks is stronger now than when the 
 recommendation was made, for the reason that the United States Government is now at work 
 on the improvement of the channel of the Hudson River. In locating the channel from a 
 point opposite Island Creek to Madison Avenue, the Government engineers have brought it 
 as near to the dock front as was safe, owing to the present poor condition of the docks. It 
 is believed by the engineer in charge of the improvement that, should the city acquire this 
 property and build the concrete docks before the dredging of the channel was completed, the 
 engineer in chief in charge of this work would so modify the plan as to bring the dredging up 
 to the dock line throughout this entire distance. 
 
 If this were carried out, the city would own the entire dock front from north of the Boston 
 Cut, including the State- Street pier, south to Island Creek, and we recommend that the 
 improvement from South Ferry Street to Island Creek, although less important than that 
 to the north, be considered part of the general plan to be carried out at such times as the 
 city considers advisable. 
 
IMPROVEMENT OF STREETS AND TRACTION FACILITIES 
 
 One of the ideas which has grown steadily during the consideration of the river front 
 improvement is the straightening of State Street from Broadway to the river, and we believe 
 there is no doubt on the part of the citizens of Albany that this should be done. From the 
 point of commercial utility, however, the widening of Broadway from State Street south to 
 the Steamboat Square, is even more necessary, and we are of the opinion that Broadway should 
 not only be widened from State Street to Steamboat Square, but that this work should be con- 
 tinued from Madison Avenue south to the Rensselaer Bridge, and that the approach to the 
 Rensselaer Bridge should be greatly improved, eliminating the sharp curve into Broadway 
 which now exists. Thousands of strangers enter Albany by this route and the condition of 
 Broadway is responsible in a great degree for the bad impression that strangers have of the 
 condition of our streets. Traffic from Rensselaer County and from the south end of the city 
 is increasing and a broad, well-paved street should be provided. In addition to Broadway 
 the new Quay Street, as suggested, along the dock front will be a wide, well-paved street, free 
 from the danger of railroad tracks. 
 
 Reference to Mr. Greenalch's plan will show the provision for a triangular plaza, 360 feet 
 long and 180 feet wide, at its widest point, which will be the centre around which all of the 
 trolley cars will turn, coming from the south, west or north, to start again from the trolley 
 terminal located on the north side of State Street below the postoffice. 
 
 A reference to the plan will show that to accomplish the results recommended, we pro- 
 pose that the city acquire all the property lying between State Street, Broadway, Hodge Street 
 and the river. This aspect of the problem has been, undoubtedly, more discussed than any 
 other, and in the past propositions somewhat similar in character have been strongly opposed. 
 We believe that this opposition was largely prompted through a misunderstanding of the 
 reasons leading to the conclusion and the uses to be made of the land acquired. 
 
 It is generally conceded that State Street should be straightened; that Broadway should 
 be widened, and that the jog in Hudson Avenue at its intersection with Broadway be elimi- 
 nated. If these changes were made and the rest of the space left intact a jagged outline would 
 be created fronting each street, which would be an eye-sore and contain a considerable amount 
 of unused land. 
 
 The objections to the taking of the whole tract bounded by State Street, Broadway, Hodge 
 Street and the river can be put under two headings. First, that it would be substituting for 
 the business blocks now in existence, a freight yard that would be unsightly and a public 
 nuisance. Second, that the expense of carrying on the project would be large. 
 
 Our answer to the first of these objections is that across the open space shown in the plan, 
 will go only four tracks of the railroad, two elevated passenger tracks and two freight tracks. 
 That in both cases they will be through tracks leading to the Union Station, the Delaware & 
 Hudson freight house and the north end of the city. That no cars can be left standing on 
 such tracks; that the passenger tracks will be carried on a well-designed and good looking 
 concrete elevated structure. The answer to the second objection we feel will be found in the 
 figures. The total assessed valuation of the property bounded by State Street, Broadway, 
 Hodge and Quay Streets is $697,600. Of this, the Delaware & Hudson Company owns prop- 
 erty with an assessed valuation of $164,100. This would leave property with an assessed 
 valuation of $533,500 to be acquired by the city. It has been suggested that the improvement 
 
might end at the south side of Hudson Avenue, but as the assessed valuation of the land 
 bounded by Hudson Avenue, Broadway, Hodge and Quay Streets exclusive of that owned 
 by the Delaware & Hudson Company, is only $221,700, and this piece is needed for any 
 satisfactory solution of the problem, we think that it would be poor economy to stop the work 
 at this point. 
 
 As to the taking of the property bounded by Madison Avenue, Broadway, South Ferry 
 Street, and the river, — the assessed value of land to be acquired in this tract is $76,300. If 
 Broadway were widened to the Rensselaer Bridge and the approaches to the bridge were 
 improved, a material amount of property would be needed. We therefore include this sec- 
 tion in our recommendation. 
 
 We recognize that the assessed valuation of the property can not be taken at its market 
 value, but believe that it furnishes the nearest available figure for comparison. In this con- 
 nection it also seems probable that the owners of the property taken by the city will, in many 
 cases, reinvest the money received from the city in other property, so tending to improve- 
 ment in some other sections of the city. 
 
 As will be seen from the plan, it is proposed to deed to the Delaware & Hudson Company, 
 property on the north side of State Street as straightened, between the postoffice and the river, 
 which will enable it to build on the new street line a large office building and the new trolley 
 and express terminal. These buildings will be two important architectural features of the 
 general plan. 
 
 In the re-location of the tracks of the Delaware & Hudson, as well as in the building of 
 the freight house, and trolley and express terminal, an exchange of property between the city 
 and the railroad will be made necessary. The railroad will gain a great advantage from the 
 improved facilities for both freight and passenger traffic. The city will gain not only the 
 advantage of improvement in appearance that will be brought about, but a new and useful 
 dock front along the whole line of this property, a paved street along its entire length and a 
 portion of the property now owned by the Delaware & Hudson Company for the proposed 
 plaza forming the centre of the open space and for other new street areas. 
 
 We shall show the exact extent of the land involved in these exchanges and it seems to 
 us, as a general proposition, that in doing the entire work of filling in the basin along the front 
 of its property and building the docks and in deeding the dock front and the street to the city, 
 the Delaware & Hudson Company will be giving full value for what it obtains in exchange, 
 and that both the railroad and the citizens of Albany will be benefited immeasurably. 
 
 We are advised that the changes contemplated by the Delaware & Hudson Company in 
 connection with this plan, will make necessary the expenditure by that company of about one 
 to one and one-half million dollars. 
 
 The changes contemplated by the New York Central, it is estimated, will cost about three 
 million dollars, and will be of inestimable value, not only to the railroad and to the citizens 
 of Albany, but to the general traveling public, as these changes will enable the New York 
 Central to eliminate present delays caused by congested conditions in the local yards. 
 
 Under this plan the New York Central will gain land made by filling in the basin between 
 the present dock front along its property north of Maiden Lane and the new bulkhead line. 
 To acquire this property it will be required to fill in this area and to build the dock along its 
 entire extent and to pave the new Quay Street from the Columbia Street Pier to the centre 
 
of Maiden Lane, and to deed the dock front and street and the south end of the Columbia 
 Street Pier, which it now owns, to the city. 
 
 While the New York Central will thus acquire a considerable area of land, we believe that 
 considering the cost of the work mentioned above, and the other work it will have to do to 
 carry out the plans which will result in great benefit to the city as well as to the railroad, it is 
 giving full payment for what it obtains. 
 
 ESTIMATES OF COST 
 
 We have asked Mr. Greenalch to prepare figures as to the areas and values of land 
 involved in the transfers needed to make these changes and estimates of cost of all the various 
 improvements, and we present herewith his very complete and careful findings, making same a 
 part of this report. The following is a summary only of his figures: 
 
 Land Exchanged 
 
 Amount of land to be deeded to the city by New York Central : Acres Acres 
 
 ist, Reclaimed land i . 43 
 
 2nd, Columbia Street Pier to be deeded to the city 72 
 
 2.1$ 
 
 Reclaimed land acquired by New York Central 2 .08 
 
 Amount of reclaimed land deeded to the city by the Delaware & Hudson 2.12 
 
 In the exchange between the city and the Delaware & Hudson the railroad 
 
 company deeds to city 1.35 
 
 Reclaimed land retained by Delaware & Hudson ■. 1.96 
 
 Street area deeded by city to Delaware & Hudson 1 . 14 
 
 3-47 
 
 10 
 
 Cost 
 Land to be acquired: 
 
 Assessed valuation, $609,800, plus one-third $81*4,000 
 
 Docks 9 o ; 000 
 
 Pavements ; 95 ( tj 00 
 
 Bridge to State Street Pier .... 40 , 000 
 
 Enlargement of Riverside Park 52 j r 00 
 
 Total " $! ,092,000 
 
 Cost of improvement from Rensselaer Bridge to Island Creek : 
 
 Purchase of 1620 ft. river front @ $20 per foot $32 ,400 
 
 Cost of dock and pavement 200 , 000 
 
 Total. 
 
 ^232, 400 
 
 The carrying out of these plans will involve the expenditure of a large sum of money, but 
 when it is considered that the elimination of the single grade crossing at Van Woert Street 
 is to be undertaken at a cost of about $400,000, the benefits to be gained by the citizens of 
 Albany through this plan of river front improvement with an expenditure of less than a million 
 and a half dollars are so vast and far reaching that we believe there will be no hesitation about 
 undertaking it. 
 
The city's debt is small, aside from its water debt, the total amounting to a little over 
 $2,000,000, while the debt limit under present assessed valuation is about $8,000,000. 
 
 We are of the opinion that the city should be allowed by the legislature to issue fifty year 
 bonds to cover the cost of the improvements. If the cost of the improvement is added to the 
 city's bonded debt, we believe that tax rates will not be increased and this opinion is corrob- 
 orated by several who have given the subject long and careful consideration. 
 
 We believe that in a general way, the division of costs which we have suggested is equit- 
 .able, and that it is impossible at this time to foresee what the future and final benefits from 
 its fulfillment may be or whether the city or one or other of the railroads will be benefited to 
 the greater degree. 
 
 We know of no other city in the United States that has had such an opportunity, in recent 
 years, for improvement of its commercial facilities and general appearance as is now offered 
 to Albany, and while this committee has not considered itself competent to suggest even in 
 a general way a plan for architectural development, we cannot fail to see the opportunities 
 which the plan will give for enhancing the appearance of this most important part of our city. 
 
 Respectfully submitted, 
 
 Edmund N. Huyck 
 James H. Perkins 
 Andrew Thompson 
 
 Committee 
 
 Albany, N. Y., Nov. 11, 1911 
 
 Messrs. E. N. Huyck, 
 
 Jas. H. Perkins, 
 Andrew Thompson, 
 Committee on River Front Improvement of the Chamber of Commerce 
 
 Gentlemen : 
 
 As requested, I herewith submit the following estimates of cost of the improvement of 
 the river front between Columbia Street and Island Creek in accordance with proposed plan 
 submitted to you. 
 
 The proposed work consists briefly of the following: 
 
 1. The construction of a new dock wall from 100 feet south of Columbia Street to Island 
 Creek, a distance of about 6500 feet, of which about 357 feet in front of Riverside Park is 
 already built, leaving about 6143 feet of new dock wall to be constructed. 
 
 2. The filling of the Basin between the present dock and the new dock wall by which 
 about 8.31 acres now under water will be reclaimed. Of the above area about 4.08 acres will 
 lie to the south and about 4.23 acres to the north of Maiden Lane. 
 
3. The construction of a concrete platform next the new dock wall from Madison Avenue 
 northerly, said platform to be about 20 feet in width and raised about 2 feet above the level 
 of Quay Street. 
 
 4. The paving of all the streets affected by the improvement, as follows: 
 
 Broadway from State Street to South Ferry Street, 
 Quay Street from 100 feet south of Columbia Street to Island Creek, 
 State Street from Broadway to Quay Street, 
 Maiden Lane from end of present pavement to Quay Street, 
 Dean Street from State Street to Maiden Lane, 
 Madison Avenue from Broadway to Quay Street, 
 South Ferry Street from Broadway to Quay Street, 
 
 Steamboat Square, the new street on the easterly and southerly sides of the trian- 
 gular plaza and the new driveways to the D. & H. freight house. 
 
 It is proposed to construct all the pavements, except on Quay Street between Madison 
 Avenue and South Ferry Street, with granite blocks laid on concrete foundations and joints 
 grouted with cement; and to construct the sidewalks of concrete and the curbing of dressed 
 granite. The pavement on Quay Street between Madison Avenue and South Ferry Street to 
 be of vitrified blocks on concrete foundation to conform with the present pavement in front 
 of Riverside Park. 
 
 5. The acquiring of all the property east of Broadway between State Street and the 
 lower bridge to Rensselaer, except the portion which will be occupied by the D. & H. Co. 
 
 CONDITIONS 
 
 The following estimate of the cost of the improvement to be paid for by the city is based 
 on the following conditions: 
 
 1. The D. & H. Co. to purchase the remainder of the two blocks bounded by State Street, 
 Dean Street, Maiden Lane and Quay Street and to transfer to the city the area required for 
 the widening of Dean Street and the new driveways to the freight house. 
 
 2. The city to acquire the portions of the six blocks bounded by State Street, Broadway, 
 Hodge Street and Quay Street not now owned by the D. & H. Co. and transfers of property 
 be made by the D. & H. Co. to the city for street purposes and by the city to the D. & H. 
 for railroad purposes. 
 
 3. The N. Y. C. & H. R. R. R. Co. to construct the new dock wall from the center of 
 Maiden Lane to a point 100 feet south of Columbia Street, a distance of about 1240 feet; to 
 fill in the area of about 4.23 acres between the old and new docks and convey to the city for 
 street and dock purposes an area of about 1.43 acres of reclaimed land and about 0.72 acres 
 of property at the end of the pier south of Columbia Street; and to lay the new pavements, 
 sidewalks and dock platforms along the river front as shown on the accompanying plan. 
 
 4. The D. & H. Co. to construct the new dock wall from the center of Maiden Lane to 
 the north line of Hodge Street, a distance of about 1450 feet; to fill in the area of about 4.08 
 acres between the old and new docks and convey, to the city for street and dock purposes an 
 area of about 2.12 acres of reclaimed land, leaving about 1.96 acres to be occupied by the 
 D. & H. Co. 
 
5- The Hudson Navigation Co. to convey its property and dock rights to" the city and 
 the city to construct a new dock wall and platform from the north line of Hodge Street to the 
 south line of Madison Avenue, a distance of about 620 feet. 
 
 6. The city to acquire the property between Broadway and Quay Street from Madison 
 Avenue to Herkimer Street and from Westerlo Street to the approach of the bridge to Rensse- 
 laer and for the extension of South Ferry Street from Broadway to Quay Street; to enlarge 
 the present Riverside Park northerly to Madison Avenue and southerly to the bridge approach; 
 to construct the new dock wall and pave Quay Street from Madison Avenue to South Ferry 
 Street, a distance of about 1040 feet of which about 357 feet in front of Riverside Park is 
 already completed; and to pave the extension of South Ferry Street from Broadway to 
 Quay Street. 
 
 7. The City to acquire title to Quay street and the dock rights, construct a dock wall 
 and pave Quay street between South Ferry street and Island Creek, a distance of about 
 2150 feet. 
 
 8. The paving of the streets, curbing, sidewalks, etc. to be done by the city and the cost 
 assessed on the property benefited in the usual manner. 
 
 PROPERTY TO BE ACQUIRED 
 
 The two blocks north of State Street between Dean Street and Quay Street have an area 
 of about 1.62 acres and an assessed valuation of $136,950 and will be occupied largely by the 
 new freight house of the D. & H. Co. Of these two blocks the D. & H. Co. now owns prop- 
 erty having an area of about 1.06 acres and an assessed valuation of $71,150, and will have 
 to acquire the remainder of the blocks having an area of 0.56 acre and valuation of $65,800. 
 Of the above property the D. & H. Co. will retain an area of 1.19 acres having a valuation of 
 $87,800 and convey to the city for street purposes an area of 0.43 acre having a valuation 
 
 of $49. I 5°- 
 
 The approximate areas and assessed valuations of the six blocks south of State Street 
 between Broadway, Quay Street and Hodge Street are as follows: 
 
 Block Bounded by Area Valuation 
 
 State St., Broadway, Hudson Ave. and Dean St 0.63 $224,400 
 
 State St., Dean St., Hudson Ave. and Quay St 0.46 93,600 
 
 Hudson Ave., Broadway, Trotter's Alley and Quay St 1 . 13 139 , 600 
 
 Trotter's Alley, Broadway, Division St. and Quay St 0.41 49 , 100 
 
 Division St., Broadway, Hamilton St. and Quay St 0.57 108 , 700 
 
 Hamilton St., Broadway, Hodge St. and Quay St o . 68 82 , 200 
 
 3.88 $697,600 
 
 Of these six blocks the D. & H. Co. now owns property having an area of about 1.33 acres 
 and a valuation of $164,100 and the city would have to acquire the remainder having an area 
 of about 2.55 acres and a valuation of $533,500. Of these six blocks the D. & H. Co. would 
 retain an area of about 0.41 acre having a valuation of $72,150 while the remainder comprising 
 an area of about 3.47 acres having a valuation of $625,450 would go to' the city for street pur- 
 poses. Of this area the D. & H. Co. would make a total net transfer to the city of about 0.92 
 acre having a valuation of $91,950. 
 
In the area between Maiden Lane and Hodge Street, the D. & H. Co. therefore would 
 make a total transfer to the city for street purposes of about 1.35 acres having an assessed 
 valuation of $141)000 while the city would transfer to the D. & H. Co. an area of about 1.14 
 acres now occupied by streets. 
 
 The assessed valuation of the property to be acquired by the city between Madison 
 Avenue and South Ferry Street is as follows: 
 
 Block Bounded by 
 
 Broadway, Madison Ave., Quay St. and Bleecker St $23 , 300 
 
 Broadway, Bleecker St., Quay St. and Herkimer St 19 , 800 
 
 Broadway, Westerlo St., Quay St. and John St 24 , 700 
 
 Broadway, John St., Quay St. and Bridge Approach 5 ,000 
 
 Extension of South Ferry St. from Broadway to Quay St 3 > 5°° 
 
 Total assessed valuation $76 , 30b 
 
 ESTIMATES OF EXPENSE TO THE CITY 
 
 1. Improvement from Maiden Lane to Madison Avenue 
 
 Property to be acquired, assessed valuation, $533,500, plus one-third. . . . $712 ,000 
 
 Dock wall from Hodge St. to Madison Ave 45 , 000 
 
 Pavement, curb, sidewalks, etc., at Plaza 26 , 500 
 
 Pavement, curb, sidewalks, etc., east half of Quay St 18 , 500 
 
 Pavement, curb, sidewalks, etc., at Steamboat Square 18 ,000 
 
 Bridge across Basin to Recreation Pier 40 , 000 
 
 Total $860 , 000 
 
 2. Improvement from Madison Avenue to South Ferry Street 
 
 Property to be acquired, assessed valuation, $76,300, plus one-third $102 ,000 
 
 Enlargement of Riverside Park 52 , 500 
 
 Dock wall 45 , 000 
 
 Pavement and sidewalk on Quay St 12, 500 
 
 Pavement and sidewalks on South Ferry St 4 1 500 
 
 City's share of pavement and sidewalks on Broadway 15 , 500 
 
 Total $232 ,000 
 
 3. Improvement from South Ferry Street to Island Creek i 
 
 Dock rights, 1620 feet at $20 $32 ,400 
 
 Dock wall 142 , 000 
 
 Pavement on Quay St 58 , 000 
 
 Total $232,400 
 
 Summary of Expense to City 
 
 Improvement from Maiden Lane to Madison Ave $860 ,000 
 
 Improvement from Madison Ave. to South Ferry St 232 ,000 
 
 Improvement from South Ferry St. to Island Creek 232 ,400 
 
 Total $1,324,400 
 
ESTIMATE OF EXPENSE TO D. & H. CO. 
 Between Maiden Lane and South Ferry Street, from Broadway easterly. 
 This estimate does not include the property to be acquired, the buildings to be erected 
 or the track work. 
 
 New dock wall and platform $88 ,000 
 
 Filling Basin 35 ,6oo 
 
 Pavements, sidewalks, etc 79 ,000 
 
 Total $202 , 000 
 
 ESTIMATE OF EXPENSE TO N. Y. C. & H. R. R. R. 
 
 Between Maiden Lane and 100 feet south of Columbia Street. This estimate does not 
 include property to be acquired, buildings to be erected or the track work. 
 
 New dock wall and platform $82 , 000 
 
 Filling Basin 36 , 000 
 
 Pavements, sidewalks, etc 26 , 000 
 
 Total $144 , 000 
 
 In addition to the above, the owners of the property along the west side of Broadway 
 from State Street to Madison Avenue and along the west side of Dean Street from State Street 
 to Maiden Lane will be assessed for the expense of the new pavement and sidewalks in front 
 of their property amounting to about $30,000, and the United Traction Company will be 
 assessed for about $18,000 for the new pavement between and two feet outside the outer rails 
 of their tracks. 
 
 The above estimates include the expense of engineering but do not include the work of 
 elevating the passenger tracks of the D. & H. Co. nor the expense of constructing the proposed 
 intercepting sewer in the area affected by the river front improvement. 
 
 The type of dock wall, on which the above estimates are based, is a concrete wall on pile 
 foundations, similar to the walls being built around the recreation pier, and costing about $50 
 per lineal foot. This dock wall will allow a depth of about 12 feet of water next the wall. 
 Should a greater depth of water be required, a different type of wall must be built at a greatly 
 increased cost. 
 
 It also must be understood that the above estimates are only approximate and based on 
 such maps and information as were readily available within the limited time at my disposal. 
 They are therefore subject to more or less change as a result of accurate surveys and sound- 
 ings and the preparation of detail plans for carrying on the work. 
 
 Very respectfully submitted, 
 
 (Signed) Wallace Greenalch, 
 
 Civil Engineer 
 
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