154 Chicago Bureau of Public Efficiency 



"The president submitted a report, dated May 29, 1909, on which 

 action was deferred at the meeting of June 4, 1909, said report containing 

 the proposals received for the Administration Building, and recommended 

 the acceptance of the bid on the building as a whole made by William 

 Grace Company. 



"Report was adopted. Commissioners Best, Hutchinson and Foreman 

 voting 'yea' and Commissioner Payne voting 'nay.' Commissioner Payne 

 requested that the following statement by him be recorded : 



" 'I desire to go on record as protesting against the erection of the 

 Administration Building, for which bids have been submitted, for the rea- 

 sons following: 



" '1. It is unwise to build an administration building so important as 

 to constitute a feature of the park. Any administration building should 

 be subordinate to the main features of the park. 



" '2. This building, together with the preparation of the grounds, the 

 reconstruction of the same including the reconstruction of the propagating 

 houses made necessary by the building, will in my opinion cost $150,000, 

 a sum much too large for a mere administration building. 



" '3. In my opinion, a simple brick addition to the present building, 

 extending north, may be made to meet the need for space for a relatively 

 small sum. 



" '4. Until the present demand for park consolidation is settled, no 

 important administration building in the South Park system should be 

 built." 



The bid of William Grace Company, on which a contract 

 for $95,750 was awarded, was the lowest bid received for do- 

 ing all of the work in the construction of the building. The 

 detail of the bid was as follows : 



Construction of building as per specifications $88,000 



If marble is used in the entrance, add 3,600 



If marble is used in the corridors, add 750 



If first floor is reinforced concrete, add 2,600 



If plate glass is used in exterior openings, add 800 



Total $95,750 



Subsequently extras were added which brought the amount 

 paid the William Grace Company up to $100,969.04. In ad- 

 dition to this cost, expenditures were also necessary to change 

 the condition of the site chosen for the new building. These are 

 as follows: 



Removal of old propagating houses, lily pond, etc $ 7,406.34 



Rebuilding propagating houses at present site 6,430.02 



Grading, filling, planting, decorative effects, etc 53,563.87 



Total $ 67,400.23 



Adding cost of building proper 100,969.04 



Adding architects' fees of 5 per cent, on building 5,048.45 



Grand total $173,417.72 



