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Show GREAT BOOM IN BUILDING Many Salt Lake Homes Going. Up, Activity Is Confined to the Construction of Moderate Priced Homes. Big Demand for Mechanics and Building Build-ing Material "What This Means for This City. s MERCANTILE business, both Jobbing Job-bing and retail, only "held Its own" lat-t week, on the basis of this year's standard, although business continues considerably better than for the corresponding period of last year. An unusually large number of real estate sales are being; made, but a large portion of them are of vacant lota purchased by Intending home-buildcrs. home-buildcrs. The marked activity in building I3 noted by both Dun's and Bradetrect's In their weekly review, a fact which tends to prove that this activity is something out of thc ordinary. As a matter of fact few residents of Salt Lake realize all that is 'being done In the building line this season or what it means for the city. It Is only when sky-scrapers are being erected that the attention of the populace la attracted. "While it Is true that only a few large business blocks have been started so far this season, It must be admitted that the building of homes, when carried car-ried .on as extensively as it Is now being be-ing carried on In this city, Is a matter well worthy of attention. The building permits taken out last week represented a total investment of 55-1,000; those of the week before. $26,-000. $26,-000. This is a total of $80,000 Invested In buildings- In two weeks, and wMth the building season lasting twenty to thirty weeks, It can be readily figured what the season's work Is likely to amount to, even without the largo blocks, several of which may yet be built during the year. One well known contractor says that $1,600,000 la a conservative con-servative estimate of the addition, In new homes alone, which will be made to the valuation of Salt Lake's taxable property during the present year. As this will mean $50,000 to be added to the taxes to be collected for another year, It will be seen that the building fever, or the building boom, or whatever It may be called, 1b destined to cut a figure In solving an economic problem. It should mean more city improvements and possibly a reduction of the rate of taxation In the bargain. While the building that Is going on is attracting comparatively slight attention, atten-tion, It Is noted that every workingman who can use a tool is employed, Including In-cluding carpenters, masons, Bteamflt-ters, Bteamflt-ters, plumbers, etc, while the men who make brick and quarry stone are working work-ing night and day In an almost vain attempt to keep up with orders. It Is said that not less than fifty new houses? are being built on the northeast bench alone, and the building Is by no means confined to any particular section sec-tion of the city. But in the northeast part, especially, it seems almost every available vacant spot Is being utilized by the home-builder. The city is, In fact, taking on an aspect of newness Jn all Its residential districts which promises to make it almost unrecognizable unrecogniz-able to the person who has failed to keep pace with tho march of building progress. |
