PUBLIC BUILDING AT ELDORADO, KANS. SEPTEMBER 23, 1918.-Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union and ordered to be printed. Mr. CLARK of Florida, from the Committee on Public Buildings and Grounds, submitted the following REPORT. [To accompany H. R. 12881.] The Committee on Public Buildings and Grounds, to whom was referred the bill (H. R. 12881) to increase the cost of the public building at Eldorado, Kans., having considered the same, report thereon with the recommendation that the bill pass. The act of March 4, 1913, authorized the purchase of a site and the construction thereon of a public building in this city, at a limit of cost of $60,000. After purchase of the site and other contingencies the amount available for construction of the building is $47,000. Bids have been advertised for on several occasions and in each instance the bids were far in excess of the amount available. It is believed that an increased authorization of at least $35,000 will be necessary in order to construct the building as originally planned, making a total limit of cost of $95,000. Then, too, the population of the town has increased in the last two years from 3,500 to about 18,000. The town has outgrown the present post-office facilities to such an extent that it is necessary for people to stand in long lines in order to get their mail. The Treasury Department's report is as follows: TREASURY DEPARTMENT, The CHAIRMAN COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS, House of Representatives. SIR: In response to your request of yesterday (Aug. 29) for a report on H. R. 12802, to provide for the erection of a public building at El Dorado, Kans.. the following is respectfully submitted: The act of March 4, 1913, authorizing a site and building at El Dorado. Kans., the limit of cost being fixed at $60,000. After purchasing the site and making reservations for lock-box equipment, contingencies, etc., the balance available for the construction of the building is approximately $47,000. This work has been advertised for bids three different times, the lowest proposal received in each instance being in excess of the balance available. The last time advertised the drawings had been revised; the lowest proposal received under this advertisement, however, was in excess of the balance available by approximately $15,500. If the work should be again placed upon the market there is no assurance that as low a bid as this would be received. It is estimated that in order to construct a building in accordance with the original drawings it will be necessary to increase the limit of cost for this project to $95.000, and to carry out the work in accordance with the revised drawings will require the limit of cost to be increased to $80,000. Respectfully, L. S. ROWE, Acting Secretary. O PUBLIC BUILDING SITE AT YONKERS, N. Y. SEPTEMBER 23, 1918.-Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union and ordered to be printed. Mr. CLARK of Florida, from the Committee on Public Buildings and Grounds, submitted the following REPORT. [To accompany H. R. 8828.] The Committee on Public Buildings and Grounds, to whom was referred the bill (H. R. 8828) increasing the limit of cost for the acquisition of a public building site at Yonkers, N. Y., having considered the same, report thereon with the recommendation that the bill do pass amended as follows: Amend the title so as to read: "Increasing the limit of cost for the acquisition of a public building site at Yonkers, New York." Strike out all of section 1 and insert in lieu thereof the following: Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the existing legislation authorizing the acquisition of a public building site at Yonkers, New York, at a limit of cost of $250,000, be, and the same is hereby, amended so as to fix a limit of cost of $338,500 for the said site, and the appropriation heretofore made under separate limits of cost are hereby made available for the acquisition of said site within the limit of cost hereby prescribed. In brief, the purpose of this bill is to authorize the expenditure of additional funds, in order that the Secretary of the Treasury may purchase the remainder of a block in the city of Yonkers, N. Y., for a public-building site. The various acts relating to this project have fixed a limit of cost of $500,000, of which $250,000 was to be used for the site and $250,000 for the building. The Treasury Department has proceeded with the acquisition of a site and has acquired the major portion of a city block at an expenditure of $221,500, leaving an unexpended balance of $28,500. The department states that it is highly desirable that the Government acquire the remainder of the block in order to provide sufficient area for the construction of the building and because of the further fact that the terms upon which it can be acquired at the present time are very advantageous to the Government. The portion of the block which it is sought to acquire can be had for $117,000. If this is purchased by the Government, the city of Yonkers agrees to buy a 20-foot strip off two sides of the site for the sum of $55,944 and use these strips for the widening of HR-65-2-vol 2-60 streets. This will make the additional land sought to be acquired cost the Government only $61,056. There is an unexpended balance now available for the purchase of the site amounting to $28,500, making an additional authorization of $88,500 necessary in order to acquire the remainder of the block. The Treasury's report on this project is as follows: CHAIRMAN COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS, MAY 23, 1918. House of Representatives. SIR: Reference is made to your request of the 15th instant for a report in connection with bill (H. R. 8828) which provides for the amendment of existing legislation authorizing the acquisition of a site and the erection thereon of a building for the accommodation of Government officials at Yonkers, N. Y. The branches of the Federal service requiring accommodations, the space requested by same, and the annual cost of their respective quarters, are: Population, census of 1910, 79,803. The act of March 4, 1913, amended prior legislation of June 30, 1906, May 30, 1908, and June 25, 1910, relative to this project, by authorizing the acquisition of a site at a limit of cost of $250,000 and the erection thereon of a building for the post office and other Government offices at a limit of cost of $250,000. Under those authorizations the department has acquired approximately two-thirds of a block for $221,500. The entire block was embraced in condemnation proceedings, resulting in an aggregate award of $338,500. The remainder of the block should be acquired to provide sufficient area to permit of the construction of a building of adequate size to meet present requirements and a reasonable expansion of the public business. As will be seen from the total award of $336,500 above referred to, the remainder of the block can be acquired for the sum of $117,000. Toward this amount there remains an unexpended balance of the appropriation for a site of $28,500. In connection with the foregoing the city of Yonkers is willing if the Government acquires the entire block in question, to purchase a 20-foot strip off of each of the Market Place and Buena Vista Avenue frontages for the purpose of widening these streets and to pay the Government for such strips the sum of $55,944. This amount represents the average cost per foot which the block would cost the Government. The net cost of the additional land would be, therefore, $61,056. It has been represented that the offer above referred to on the part of the city can not be held open indefinitely. In addition to the necessity for an increase in the limit of cost for a site and the amendatory legislation referred to above, it is estimated that to construct a building adequate for the needs of Yonkers an increase in the limit of cost for the building of $150,000 would be required. The additions, therefore, to the limits of cost for both site and building aggregate $238,500, making a joint limit of cost for site and building of $738,500. Allowing, however, $55,944 as a payment from the city for the land it desires, the actual additional cost of the project over the amount at present authorized will be $182,556. Respectfully, W. G. MCADO0, Secretary. O |