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1062
RECORD AND GUIDE
June 6, igo8
THE CITY'S NEW FERRY TERMINAL AND OFFICE
BUILDING.
The action taken this week by the Board of Estimate and
Apportionment authorizes the Commissioner of Docks to award
the contract for the Staten Island Ferry terminal, foot of
Whitehall st. Borough of Manhattan.
This contract provides for a structure with two slips which
forms the westerly section of the Municipal Perry terminal.
The easterly section, consisting of three slips, has been under
construction for some time and is to be used as the ManTiattan
terminal of the 39th Street Ferry, Brooklyn.
The third, ou middle section, when acquired by the city, will
consist of two slips and furnish terminal facilities for South
and Fort Hamilton ferries.
are ornamental stucco and copper panels, wdiile ornamental
cast and wrought iron brackets and mouldings complete with
tile and terra cotta the scheme of decoration.
For watei-proofing the stucco, a waterproof material has
been mixed with the sand and cement, and to color it pigments
are mixed in, instead of applying the coloring matter to the
exterior. The copper is not to be treated in any w-ay. The
concrete floor slabs are to be covered with marbleithic blocks
in the w^aiting rooms. The roof forming the recreation pier
w-ill be tiled, while a copper roof with standing seams crowns
the north and east elevations.
The cost of the completed superstructure will be .fll.SOO.OOO.
This does not show a greater cost per cubic foot than other
modern terminals, which, however, have no revenue-producing
features. Worlv was commenced about a year ago under Mr.
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Snare & Triest Co,, Builders.
RIVER VIEW MUNICIPAL FERRY TERMINAL.
Walker & Morris, Architects,
The three sections are shown In the elevator plan. Since the
three sections are being built at different times each is com¬
plete in itself, but the three are so designed as to form a har¬
monious whole, so arranged as to be used either as one large
terminal or as three separate ones, which future traffic con¬
ditions will determine.
The completed structure, therefore, consisting of seven slips,
wi'l replace the present terminals of the Staten Island, 39th
Street, Fort Hamilton and South ferries, and will be more than
700 feet long. There are three waiting rooms and a driveway
on the street level. On t'he second floor there is practically
one immense concourse, subdivided by glass partitions into
three waiting rooms, so arranged lhat they can be operated
individually or in connection with each other. The Loggia, 15
feet wide, running along the entire north front on second
floor level, will replace the unsightly bridges and passageways
at present leading from the elevated road to the ferry houses.
Ample and modern smoking rooms, retiring room and toilet
room arrangements are provided, and the electrically illumi¬
nated signs aud automatically controlled gates for the comfort
and safety of the puhlic are of the most approved types.
On the third fioor over the slips tbere has been provided
45,000 square feet of office space, equal in area to nearly two
J. A. Bensel, Commissioner of Docks, and is now being con¬
tinued by his successor, Mr. Allen N. Spooner; Mr. Charles W.
Staniford being chief engineer for the department. Messrs.
Walker & Morris, 30 East 23d st, are the architects, and Charles
"V\*orthington their consulting engineer. The Snare & Triest
Conipany has the general contract for the three westerly slips,
and were the lowest bidders for the two easterly slips.
STRUCTURAL STEEL IN BRAZIL.—The possibilities of the
trade in steel building materials in Brazil have appealed to a
number of the largest American manufacturers of such ma¬
terials, and there is a w-ell-deflned movement to get into the
trade in Brazil and South America generally. The nature of
inquiries made, however, indicates that there is no proper ap¬
preciation of the position of this trade in, Brazil at the present
time, nor is it likely t'hat it will reach the expectations of many
American exporters for some time. Rio de Janeiro has nearly
a mil'ion people. In spite of the high price of real estate in
the central portion nearly aU the business houses are three
stories, a few are of four, still less of five, and the only two
above five stories are those of two new-spapers—one of seven
and tbe other of nine stories, the latter being the only building
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a ■ T r • \ -
LAND FRONT ELEVATION—MUNICIPAL FERRY TERMINAL.
Walker Se Morris, Architects.
floors of the proposed new Municipal Building. An equal num¬
ber of square feet of roof space is intended to be given up to
public use as a recreation pier. These two features have been
worlvcd out at a comparatively low cost to the city. At a rental
of $2 a square foot for the offlce space, the city would derive
an annual income of $90,000, making it a revenue-producing
building. The third floor is reached hy elevators and stair¬
ways accessible from both the flrst and second fioors, while
the recreation pier has separate stairways.
MATERIALS AND CONSTRUCTION.
Tiie building is of fireproof construction, with steel frame¬
work and reinforced concrete floor slabs. Every effort has
been made in the selection of materials to avoid the cracking
of walls and ceilings, and to further insure this result all
large surfaces are broken up into panels with metal covered
slip joints. Unlike some of the newest terminals, the river
front, the steel structural members are left exposed, rather
than covered with metal. Between the exposed steel members
in the city built upon a steel frame. Building in Rio de Janeiro,
as the representative city of Brazil, so far have consisted al¬
together of those constructed of stone and those constructed of
brick and plastered over to represent stone. Owing to the
climate none other than damp-resisting materials can be used.
Wood has been out of the question, owing to ravages of white
ants and other insects.
MOVING THE BREAD LINE.—On Monday, June 8, the
Fleischmann Bakery will move to the northwest corner of
Broadway and llth st. The building occupied by them for
thirty-two years will be razed as described some time since in
the Record and Guide, Many people have wondered whether
the famous "Bread line" would be discontinued when the new
quarters were occupied. Mr, Otto F. Fleischmann is convinced
of the efficacy of his plan and will continue it. Instead of ex¬
tending along Broadway, however, it is stated that the line will
in the future form along llth st.