PROPOSED CITY IMPROVEMENT.

Evening Star, Issue 3990, 8 December 1875, Page 2

PROPOSED CITY IMPROVEMENT.

At yesterday's meeting of the City Council the surveyor submitted a report, lu reference to tho proposed lowering of Dowling street west, tint 3.0,000 cubic yards of material would have to be excavated, if was decided to lower the sections on both sides of the street simultaneously with tho stre-t: that nineteen sections would be affected by the work as far as View street; and the increased value given to these he estimates at LI,OOO apiece. He goes on to say The above quantities include the lowering of View street and Canongate from Dowling si wot to Kattray street. Tho gradient of Dowling street from Princes street to Smith street (where the cutting runs out) will be 6Jft per chain, being the grndieut of Stuart street west, nud one foot to the chain better than York place. The gradient of Canongate from Rattray street to Dowling street

will ho Bft per chain. Tho deepest cutting Will bfl t, near the 801 l Tower. The cost of the work, it dono hy contract, I estimate at 2s 3d per cubic ,«nrd, or n total of £34,875, thus distributed Lowering street lines and reserve,l,lso,ooo cul 1c yards at 2s 3d, £12,937; lowering sections, 105,000 cubic yards, at 2s 3d, L 21,937. Prom this it will lip apparent that if the sections Wire quite free from buildings, the_ cost of lowering would be nearly covered by their increased value as business sites when brought into direct communication with Princes, Rattray, and Maclnggau streets, and constituting the mi in rorfd to the west from the centre of the

h'ty- In many cases the buildings on the ground arc old and comparatively worthless, but in a few cases good buildings have been erected which will not be covered by the increased value of the laud. As I have frequently represented, I believe the work should lie undertaken conjointly with the Govern" ment aud the Harbor Board. There is no place Si) convenient for the employment of prison labor, or for obtaining at least a portion of the largo quantity of the material that will be required for harbor re* clamalion. The excavated material would reclaim nu area from fifteen to twenty acres, according fo depth, and worth L50,0.>0, each section being filled U). , . c level of the streets. If the seel ions were nlloa in ou'y to high-water mark the area available lor sale would be proportionately increased. These figures show that whether done by contmet or piison labor the nuderlaking would bo extremely profitable. As a City improvement, the advantage is undeniable, and I would respectfully urge the Council to toko tho requisite steps for its speedy commencement. The owners of property in the neighborhood are anxious to have the matter settied, as the present uncertainty interferes with the building operations.