The answer to this is that the taking of
parts of the buildings would in many cases be almost, if not quite,
equivalent to a total destruction of the entire properties. If the
city should acquire for public purposes the three blocks lying between
Fulton Street and Liberty Street on the west and Washington Street on
the east, it could widen Washington Street to the required width of
110 feet, use the space opposite the Post Office for one of the new
buildings, and design the open space near the bridge as a dignified
and fitting approach to Brooklyn Bridge, corresponding to some extent
to the open space partly covered by the Manhattan municipal building
at the other end. This should be done in connection with Commissioner
O'Keeffe's plan of reconstructing the bridge terminal. The new public
building located here would not act as a stopper in the bridge plaza,
because the space now between the Mechanics' Bank Building and Myrtle
Avenue is of a fixed width and acts as a fixed limitation. If
Washington Street is widened to the same width, the approach to the
bridge plaza proper would be better than if the bridge plaza should
extend all of the distance to Borough Hall Park. In the latter case
the plaza would be too large and not pleasing in form. A considerable
part of this real estate is already owned by the city.

By chapter 390 of the laws of 1909 the Supreme Court justices of this
department were empowered to select a site for a new court house and
recommend it to the Board of Estimate. In 1910 they selected the two
blocks bounded by Court, Clinton, State and Livingston Streets, and on
December 20th, 1911, the report was made by the Board of Sinking Fund
Commissioners to the Board of Estimate. The Board of Estimate has
taken no action thereon.

In July, 1911, the Board of Estimate determined upon the southeast
corner of Court and Joralemon streets as a site for the new municipal
building, taking in both the corner and the land covered by the
present municipal building. The land has been acquired, plans for the
building have been prepared, and when the Board of Estimate makes an
appropriation for building, actual construction can begin. If,
however, the recommendations of this report should meet with favor,
the municipal building would be erected in another place.

The committee has endeavored to deal with these four factors, viz.,
court house, municipal building, bridge plaza and re-location of
tracks, so that the mone