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convenient and useful to the public than it would be under any 

 other plan yet suggested, but must make it perfectly apparent 

 that we have in Brooklyn, in close connection with our park, 

 more desirable places of residence than can be found elsewhere 

 in any city. The lower portion of the map which is annexed 

 to this report will further explain this last suggestion of the 

 Commissioners, while it also indicates the location and extent 

 of land which they propose to sell. 



If sold, it would of course be with proper restrictions in re- 

 gard to the character of the improvements to be made upon it, 

 and with suitable reservations of streets and avenues. The 

 Commissioners intend to reserve, besides the avenues which 

 they propose to lay out with wide planted borders, and the 

 reservoir ground, with an ornamental garden around it, a body 

 of land two hundred and sixty feet in depth fronting the park, 

 to be held by the city as a site for public buildings and institu- 

 tions, as stated in their last annual report. 



They do not propose to interrupt, but to improve and 

 amplify all the direct lines of communication through the dis- 

 trict east of the park, retaining for park purposes every foot of 

 land from which a view of the bay or of the sea can be had. 

 But after making all these reservations, there will still remain 

 a body of over one hundred acres of land to be disposed of with 

 such restrictions as will insure the erection upon it of strictly 

 first class dwelling houses. A former report estimated the pro- 

 ceeds of such sale at two and a half millions of dollars, but the 

 Commissioners are advised that their estimate was too low by at 

 least half a million of dollars. If to this is added a million for 

 its improvement when retained as a park, which the experience of 

 the Commissioners in dealing with ground of a similar character 

 on the other side of the avenue induces them to believe would 

 be a fair estimate of the espense, the difference to the city be- 

 tween selling; and retaining this land will amount to at least 

 four millions of dollars. But this is not all ; for if we double 

 the price of the land, as a fair representation of the value of the 

 buildings which would probably be erected upon it, we shall 

 add immensely to the taxable property of our city, besides in- 

 creasing her annual revenue by at least half a million of dol- 

 lars. 



The general views upon the subject of a sale here pre- 



