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Coliseum Cornerstone Ceremonies

City officials handle of trowels during cornerstone laying ceremonies of the $35,000,000 Coliseum at Columbus Circle in Manhattan, New York, Oct. 21, 1954.

This recording provides coverage of the laying of the Cornerstone for the Coliseum, following the groundbreaking in April of 1954, and the opening in April of 1956. Speakers include Robert Moses, Mayor Robert Wagner, Manhattan Borough President Hulan Jack, Harold McGraw of the West Side Chamber of Commerce, and James W. Follin, Director of Slum Clearance. Bernard Gimbel of the New York Convention and Visitors Bureau emcees the event.
Moses speaks about the various impediments to the project, while James Follin's speech discusses upcoming "slum clearance" and "urban renewal" projects. Mayor Wagner's speech refers to the history of, and need for, conventions and convention grounds in New York, praising the Coliseum for the role it will take up in the City.

A WNYC reporter introduces the program.
It begins with the National Anthem. Introduced by Bernard Gimbel of the New York Chamber of Commerce and Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Gimbel talks about the many years it took to plan the Cornerstone Laying of the Coliseum. He discusses an appearance before a Congressional committee about the project. He thanks those who took part in the project, including The Triborough Authority and Newspapers.
He discusses the lack of convention grounds in NYC. He mentions that NYC's "visitor business" is its second largest industry - 1 billion is spent there annually.
He talks about acquiring the land in the center of the city. He talks about the job ahead in building and using the Coliseum. He praises Robert Moses and presents him with a tray.

WNYC describes the giving of the tray. He quotes the inscription.

Gimbel reads the inscription as well.

Moses speaks after receiving the tray. He talks about the temptation to "beef about obstacles" that beset those attempting to build public workers. He will "resist" this to thank those who helped. He talks about the embeddedness of the project in a slum clearance effort, which had been somewhat blocked by Congress.
Moses describes the West side of Manhattan as the magnet of Manhattan. He praises the west side and describes it in depth, poetically. He talks about the necessity of looking ahead, and the difficulties that come with it. He claims the cornerstone should have been laid a decade ago. He complains about the lack of press support. He complains about newspaper coverage. He talks about making an omelet without breaking a few eggs.
He talks about other needs the city has that will need to be met and slums to clear. He needs further "rooters."

Gimbel introduces Harold McGraw of the West Side Chamber of Commerce.
McGraw praises the project in his brief speech, thanking Moses specifically.

Gimbel discusses the role of the Congress in providing slum clearance fund for the project. He introduces James W. Follin, Director of Slum Clearance. He talks about the 9 planned projects that are part of the slum clearance programs, federally funded. He talks about urban renewal in New York City.

Gimbel introduces Hulan Jack, borough president of Manhattan.
Jack acknowledges the attendees and praises the Coliseum as a project. Jack praises the efforts of Moses in aiding Manhattan. He particularly praises the role the Coliseum will take in New York in the future. It will contribute to world peace.

Gimbel introduces Robert F. Wagner. He mentions his whole-hearted support for the project. Wagner joined Gimbel (and Moses) in speaking in front of congress in favor of urban renewal at Columbus Circle.

Wagner thanks Moses and Gimbel and their organizations for their efforts. The Coliseum will cost 35 million dollars. He describes the building's expected size. The Coliseum's role as convention center was previously held by Grand Central Palace - he talks about its obsolescence. He talks about groups who would have come but for space - he estimates the loss at 100 million dollars annually. He talks about New York's greatness as a city. There is more hotel space than anywhere in the world. The Coliseum will help in the expansion of these. He talks about the reorganization of the Convention Bureau in 1946.

The WNYC announcer describes the program that was now finishing.

Audio courtesy of the NYC Municipal Archives WNYC Collection

WNYC archives id: 150410
Municipal archives id: LT2915

This is a machine-generated transcript. Text is unformatted and may contain errors.
Transcribed one hour earlier for broadcast at that time yes every station brings you the right from Columbus Circle fifty ninth Street and Broadway portions of the ceremony the rounding the laying of the cornerstone of the New York how I feel that they're on AM brought to you through the specials authorities of a minute ago but getting at them and go the dresses by Robert F. Wagner the mayor of the city of New York Jack president of the barrel of Manhattan we're not F. gimbals vice president of the New York State Chamber of Commerce and president and chairman of the New York Convention and Visitors Bureau Robert Moses commissioner of public housing Albert M. Cohen administrator of the Federal Housing and Home Finance Agency and Harold W. MacGraw chairman of the Westside Association of Commerce to open the program yeah now is we're not asking him. Honored guests ladies and gentleman. Right. One of the top. SINGER. Of the JAMMA girls is going to sing The Star-Spangled Banner. I should say Barack I. Oh. Boy. The. You. The. The. The the. Where favored where the real. City Coliseum corners the day to day the weather even savor the day is an easy happy occasion for it marks the cornerstone of our new coliseum. Those not close to the development of the plans will never know the endless toil and effort that went into every phase of moving this project along to the point where it is today it took many years of thoughtful planning to arrive at that moment it took guns toll among many meetings millions of words of solicitations hundreds of appearances before many organizations and various committees city and state bodies and only recently a trip to Washington for an appear before a congressional committee New York and wonder city of the world has long been in need of a structure such as the Coliseum and now in just a little more than a year the hopes of the people of the city in New York will be realized we pay tribute to marijuana ignorant his administration and to all a civic minded person who played a part in helping bring this project to break to fruition we paid tribute to the Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority for undertaking the building of this extraordinary and vitally needed project we've paid tribute to the newspapers who've supported the project and landed strong editorial support to all of you I express on behalf of my associates in the New York convention business bureau our appreciation and think there has been an incalculable loss of convention and exposition business over the years because of the lack of a suitable auditorium but the community can now stand up to all competition and in the final analysis can offer a good deal more for New York has everything. There are seventy five major conventions in expositions which have never been held in New York City but with a completion the coliseum we look forward to the day when most if not all of these organizations will be our guest Many already have made tentative reservations for meeting the visitor business in New York City's its New York City second largest industry one billion dollars is spent annually here by all visitors this look at a versus now stands to be increased by many more millions of dollars for the completion of the coliseum we weren't see very fortunate to be able to get the site on which the building will stand unlike exposition facilities and many other cities the Coliseum will be in the very heart of the city eighty to reach by subway bus or elevated lines it actually fans at the crossroads of the world the Coliseum can reach in four minutes from Times Square and if one happens to be in the second part of the Burke Wayne or Brooklyn hall It'll only take twenty six minutes let us today not lose sight of the fact that the job of making the Colosseum what it should be is by no means the need for the opening of its doors in one thousand nine hundred fifty six the job only begins at that time true it'll be a fine building a handsome structure the biggest and best of its kind but let us make it the most used building in the entire city it is already the talk of the country. Let us continue our united efforts during the construction for the Coliseum and beyond that let us drive to do our utmost to make the most of our hard earned gains the completed Coliseum. My few remarks would be sorely lacking and therefore incomplete if I did not call your attention are indebted to that tireless civic leader Robert Moses more than any single individual is responsible for this Coliseum is wisdom. His wisdom foresight and devotion to this much needed and worthwhile addition to the city's finest structure of all society and gratitude of all Bob Moses I humbly join all my fellow New Yorkers in a salute to your progressive and forthright leadership we owe you much we need not fear any further delay with Bob Moses leading the way. We would not want this day to pass without giving you some amount of the occasion there is little that we can do to properly acknowledged your contribution however on behalf of the New York Convention and Visitors Bureau and as a token of our esteem and affection I wish to present to you by Moses this tray which is inscribed as follows. Bob. Right. Here. In the. Mission. Train Ride with a following where he maybe he's right and you have a fine man with demand foresight and have devoted your life to the welfare of your fellow citizens presented by the New York Convention and Visitors Bureau at the Mang of the cornerstone of the New York Coliseum to express gratitude affection and respect of the people of New York for a great public servant and if it is granted over twenty first nine hundred fifty four thousand by Mayor Wagner honorary chairman and the other offices are your. Dream. But Robert both of you plan and look. At foresight and of devoted your life to the welfare of your fellow that it. Prevented by the New York convention of the Bureau of the laying of the cornerstone of the your Coliseum to express their gratitude and affection and respect for the people of New York for a great public service signed by Mer why they are as honorary chairman. Of the euro and the office of Europe and Bob We hope that Marian you. Say for many years. Chairman. Ladies and gentlemen. I expect to. Eat all my meals off this crave for the rest of my natural life. As a great temptation on such occasions. There will be for about obstacles resistance. As the hurdles move the women cussedness which were sad all great public engineering and the prizes especially in the process of rebuilding all of long established rundown urban centers. I shall however. Content myself on this occasion. With offering the good right hand of fellowship of all hours fly for any gamble a nice fellow members of the convention bureau have and constant unreliable friends and or. With a somewhat different gesture in the general direction of others who have done their level best to make the tough job tougher. Now I reserve for particular. Party slaps on the lack of my tool our own. And utterly dependable friends on the Triborough George McLachlan Bill Tracey. And George Fargo and is able staff. Staff get most of their head and heart aches. And a little of the fray. Coliseum that is embedded in the strategic neighborhood reconstruction project to which the slum clearance committee and it saves have devoted much energy in the face of misunderstandings and washing them which we confidently believe are now at an end. The west side is the magnet of Manhattan. When the magnet loses its attraction the metropolis dies. The west side is a curious anomalous and fascinating strip of Hudson River waterfront and hinterland. It is crowded with a mixture of shipping trucking and transportation for a manufacturing story back to market territory is business and management publishing education the Museum of the art. With the residents Anderson first and the most pattern less haphazard and yet to come was a livable and workable way. Fair all the colors of the rainbow and all the races of the world. The west side is the whipping boy am no our academic planners. The despair of traffic experts the favorite city of alert roving reporters and riders. The battleground of stevedores dockworkers police and court reformers and the delight of artists who see far beyond the buy is of great ship being morphed into busy periods the seven seas where they have done business in great waters. Practical difficulties in the way of reclaiming and improving the obsolete parts of the west side. Without silly revolutionary paper schemes in the field all expert surveys are tremendous. But not beyond the imagination and capacity of those who are employed by government and big business to look ahead as well as to produce prosperity from day to day brains are available. But there's been altogether too little cooperation coordination and willingness to resign concede and unite. On common objectively without Pelosi mental reservation and reluctant half hearted effort. Even as obvious in S.F. and. As this Columbus Coliseum has lacked truly united support the cornerstone should have been laid a decade ago. I wish all the press would help us more some papers do with a scrupulous fair others give us the all double praise they support a project editorially and undermine it in the new rows with can fry heart rending stories about tenants ruthlessly fawn from their offices without notice five sadistic directors and families cruelly turf out of Iraq FRAPS. There are no doubt some isolated cases of hardship but they are few and mitigated by every consideration we can. Really expand it to no start no one if you have found a way of making an omelet without breaking some make. This ceremony is more than cheering as practiced in the new coliseum for the dear old west side means. There are other games on our schedule the season is still young. We have on our program vital Austereo construction of east and west elevators Mr crossings connecting tunnels and bridges which in turn connect New Jersey with Long Island cost we must have public parking facilities under them we have got some peers to repair and replace. We have a dictated Washington market for which come from new schools must be substituted we have no housing to failed on the site for a slum and first and foremost in the area just north of this coliseum we have railroad yards to cover. The public officials who face this heavy schedule on these united for hard uninterrupted day of the convention the west side chamber of commerce and other info encoders let's have more than an occasional cheer. List Coliseum. Will be the headquarters of a revival been rejuvenated West Side bear the work of numberless hands will be show. Here ideas will be exchanged. From these convention halls millions of visitors will golf off to sample our way. To see our sights and to savor the offerings of our great city. Thank you Bob Marley. I.O.W. McGraw's reputation chairman of the Westside Association of commerce needs no envelopment is not only the west side ever but the whole city of New York that property by the activities of this fine civic leader a pleasure this time to introduce you to our own in the grove. It's a jam and honored guests ladies and gentlemen on behalf of the Westside Association of Commerce I am delighted to have a fire in this great event. To pay tribute at the commission memos to the commissioners and the other commissioners of the driveway rage in the tunnel as are to the marrow Agner of our president again and all the others who will of had acquired in the development of this Coliseum this callous and one of this completed. Well be one of the greatest saying this that it ever happened to New York City. And will have a direct or indirect of facts on practically every saddest and then clouding. To make memos may I thank you again for all that you have done and I doing for New York City your great public service thank you. Thank you Rob. The federal government has played an important part in the construction of the Coliseum by making available to New York City fun for slum clearance were indeed fortunate to have with us today a representative of the United States government housing and home finance a. Mr James W. fallen the director of slum clearance and urban redevelopment follow. A gamble that the man most. Honored guests and ladies and gentlemen I'm glad to have this opportunity for the federal government to participate in this significant ceremony launching the construction of a much needed to sell it for your setting. This project locally constructed an annex created is one of a growing number of redevelopment project in New York City being carried out with federal assistance to date nine such projects have been placed on the contract and a number of others are in the planning stage the redevelopment of these nine projects for the most part involves the construction of new housing. Supplementing this our part recreational area education and health facilities and this important public perso it is the Coliseum. Federal funds involved in these projects that they are in the neighborhood of testimony in dollars while local city funds for these projects well approximate twenty five million dollars this expenditure is only for acquiring land during the land flow and blighted conditions but above and beyond this the redevelopment program is generating the investment private funds for construction and related activities in an amount exceeding a quarter of a better than dollars. This project therefore is another landmark in a development of coronated federal and local attacks on blighted areas and their replacement by new housing and needed public facilities creating thereby enormous opportunities for investment and employment. I think it is particularly significant also that all of these projects are locally selected and designed. Their development of course requires continual cooperation between the federal and local government while there may be different minor differences over details I think the size of the New York City program and the importance of the redevelopment projects that are being carried forward indicates that federal local cooperation is working on the whole Very well I am happy to congratulate all of you who had a part in this undertaking in particular I believe New York city owes a vote of thanks to Mr Robert Moses who has been the guiding force not only in this project but in the overall development of your city thank. You Ron. The people of the borough of Manhattan have great reason to be proud of the man they elected as Burr president. Mr Jack devotion to his work and his conscientious conscientious effort on behalf of the borough of Manhattan in the city of New York are well known ladies and gentlemen the honorable fuel and Easy Jet. Design of the my our president of the city council like and so on but our president landing. Honorable Robert Moses. The Gamble president of the New York convention invent your own cooperated ladies and gentlemen I'm happy to share in the cornerstone lighting ceremony of the New York policy M. third represents another important advancement in the amazing history of New York City. And let me pause to pay tribute to our very great citizens far as indomitable wail and determination to help all of us here in the city of New York and particularly in the borough of Manhattan to bring about these improvements which will continue to make Manhattan the leading borrow of the five are. The New York policy and when completed will be another part of the fascinating picture to attract people from every nation in the world together within its. It will also be a structure where the population of not only our city but the entire metropolitan area well find it a place to relax study and gain knowledge because of the numerous activities which will be on exit but. It will also serve as a link and bringing together the story of people and events from the fields of Sport Industry education and activity of various and to grow become aware of claimants because it will be part of the fame which is related to the magnificence of New York City it was there was a messenger of national and international goodwill and perhaps in a new role make an important contribution to Howards were the. People from everywhere well me there and exchange thoughts I'd errors and products which will affect you AIG to a greater common understanding among the nations of the way. The success of The New York Coliseum well received in cards spent in the systems of officials in city government and the public it will be an enterprise of which all of us can be proud for we know it will become a byword in many corners of the well. New York City well extending their friendly greeting and in return receive a warm response it will gain prominence as an International Hall of goodwill dedicated to the best interest of everyone willing to share and enjoy its numerous programs fashion to we the magic about the city into our hearts thank you. Thank you of our present Jack it is always a pleasure and privilege reduced the Honorable Robert F. Wagner America to New York is due in no small part to marijuana growers or harder cooperation and continuing support but a very very latest cornerstone for New York new policy. Just a short time ago we took time out of his busy schedule to go with us to Washington to present our case before a congressional committee. This was a typical example of his deep interest in this project we are proud that he is honorary chairman of the New York Convention and Visitors Bureau ladies and gentlemen. I'm glad. I got friends Bernie again both. Most of them I was as my colleagues on the board of estimates as in the city council a stock that control of our own still relative are a president jet or a president one day just a follow on to McGraw I distinguished guests on the platform here and friends. To Commissioner Robert Moses and the Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority for undertaking this immense job of building the Coliseum I say thanks for all of the people of our great city. The New York Convention and Visitors Bureau headed by Bernie Campbell and many of their distinguished members are here with us today should be highly commended for its efforts over the years and spearheading the movement for an adequate exposition hall and to all the members of the Bureau New York office it's found less gravity. The Coliseum will cost about thirty five million dollars it will see twenty five thousand visitors and with three hundred and one thousand square feet of exhibition space the Coliseum will accommodate the largest convention or exposition when it opens on March first nineteenth at the six. The York City's Grand Central palace which opened back in one thousand and eleven long ago became obsolete and eyes grew to its early usefulness New York City like many other cities they did huge for space and up to date facilities. Other cities were well aware of the financial gains to be made by enticing businesses their way and acted accordingly. Now New York's Coliseum will stand second to none. There are many organizations which wanted to come to this great city of Oz but could not because of an adequate meeting space look for great growth in business with the opening of the Coliseum. It is conservatively estimated that New York lost annually more than one hundred million dollars because of the lack of an auditorium large enough to meet the needs of these many organizations. Let us never overlook the fact that New York City is recognized the world over as the cultural educational business and financial center of this country it is in all probability the most important market for buyers from all over the North American continent New York City is the meeting center of the leaders of finance and business and science and education and in the world of entertainment and amusement it stands again second to none as a fashion center it is the recognized leader of style it is rightfully called the fabulous city one hundred ten we have in New York City more hotel space than any other city in the world it is the most cosmopolitan city in the world and today with its United Nations headquarters it is the capital city of the world. The full significance of the impact the addition of the Coliseum will have in and lodging the circle of business influence and opportunities the building is found to generate will only be realized after the doors have opened. Expositions and conventions in the United States are expanding in number each year. Our New York Convention and Visitors Bureau in line with this general expansion reports that two million seven hundred and fifty thousand persons attended meetings of one kind or another and spent approximately two hundred million dollars for lodging entertainment service and merchandise during the past year this was indeed a substantial and highly important that the Sion to the city's economy the convention bureau since its reorganization in one thousand forty six as increase the number of conventions meeting in New York City to a very mock degree that's Coliseum Well of course to our great city its proper place in the forefront of the marketing and meeting place that is of the nature. May the good Lord bless this building this project and that our city of New York thanks. Thank you I'm a writer Bob Sullivan will lead the way we will proceed to the corners of the lanes Thank you ladies. From Columbus Circle fifty ninth Street and Broadway yesterday station as brought to transcribe portions of the family at the rounding the lang of the calmest town of a New York Coliseum give and included addresses by Robert F. the more ignorant mayor of the city of New York Q. and A Jack president of a bar of Manhattan were not at gamble chairman of the New York Convention and Visitors Bureau Robert Moses commissioner of public housing Albert M. call administrator of the Federal Housing and Home Finance Agency and Carol W. McGraw Cameron of the Westside of South Asian comics this has been a problem is that it's feature of your city station.

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