Editing Queensboro Bridge (section)

==== Post-unification approval ====
Manhattan and Queens were merged into the [[City of Greater New York]] in 1898,<ref>{{Harvnb|ps=.|Eldredge|Horenstein|2014|p=125}}</ref> spurring alternate plans for a bridge between Manhattan and Queens.<ref name="p879753651">{{Cite magazine |date=February 12, 1897 |title=Bridge Building |magazine=Railroad Gazette |page=120 |issue=1 |id={{ProQuest|879753651}}}}</ref> New York Assembly members proposed separate bills in early 1898 to revoke Rainey's franchise for the bridge<ref>{{Cite news |date=March 6, 1898 |title=Blackwell's Island Grant |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-brooklyn-daily-eagle-blackwells-isl/134900125/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231109192338/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-brooklyn-daily-eagle-blackwells-isl/134900125/ |archive-date=November 9, 2023 |access-date=November 9, 2023 |work=The Brooklyn Daily Eagle |pages=30 |via=newspapers.com}}</ref> and to have the city purchase Rainey's franchise.<ref>{{cite news |date=March 16, 1898 |title=Bridge Over Blackwell's Island |work=New-York Tribune |page=3 |issn=1941-0646 |id={{ProQuest|574423687}}}}</ref> Rainey vowed not to sell his franchise,<ref name="p574687307" /><ref>{{Cite news |date=November 25, 1898 |title=Won't Sell Franchise, Declares Dr. Rainey |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-brooklyn-daily-eagle-wont-sell-fran/134898210/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231109192336/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-brooklyn-daily-eagle-wont-sell-fran/134898210/ |archive-date=November 9, 2023 |access-date=November 9, 2023 |work=The Brooklyn Daily Eagle |pages=1 |via=newspapers.com}}</ref> but the state legislature passed a bill in March 1900 allowing the city to take over Rainey's franchise.<ref>{{cite news |date=March 30, 1900 |title=Blackwell's Island Bridge: The Charter Granted by the State May Be Bought by the City |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/new-york-tribune-blackwells-island-brid/134906823/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231109203702/https://www.newspapers.com/article/new-york-tribune-blackwells-island-brid/134906823/ |archive-date=November 9, 2023 |access-date=November 9, 2023 |work=New-York Tribune |page=1 |via=newspapers.com |issn=1941-0646 |id={{ProQuest|570800173}}}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=March 30, 1900 |title=To Buy Raines' Franchise |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-brooklyn-daily-eagle-to-buy-raines/134906310/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231109203700/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-brooklyn-daily-eagle-to-buy-raines/134906310/ |archive-date=November 9, 2023 |access-date=November 9, 2023 |work=The Brooklyn Daily Eagle |pages=17 |via=newspapers.com}}</ref> Although Rainey himself eventually consented to the city's takeover of his franchise,<ref>{{Cite news |date=April 16, 1900 |title=Hearing on the Rainey Bridge |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-brooklyn-citizen-hearing-on-the-rain/134907455/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231109203657/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-brooklyn-citizen-hearing-on-the-rain/134907455/ |archive-date=November 9, 2023 |access-date=November 9, 2023 |work=The Brooklyn Citizen |pages=9 |via=newspapers.com}}</ref> mayor [[Robert Anderson Van Wyck]] wanted to build a new bridge in a slightly different location.<ref>{{Cite news |date=April 20, 1900 |title=Rainey Veto Expected |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-brooklyn-daily-eagle-rainey-veto-exp/134907614/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231109203700/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-brooklyn-daily-eagle-rainey-veto-exp/134907614/ |archive-date=November 9, 2023 |access-date=November 9, 2023 |work=The Brooklyn Daily Eagle |pages=20 |via=newspapers.com}}</ref>

A New York state senator introduced legislation in early 1897 to permit the development of a bridge between Manhattan and Queens;<ref>{{cite news |date=February 26, 1897 |title=Blackwell's Island Bridge Scheme |page=3 |work=New-York Tribune |issn=1941-0646 |id={{ProQuest|574273400}}}}</ref> the unified city government was to pay for the bridge.<ref name="p879753651" /> At a meeting in Long Island City in February 1898, a group of men from both boroughs were appointed to consider plans for the bridge.<ref name="n135292602" /> By late 1898, Queens residents were threatening to not vote for the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]] (of which Van Wyck was part) if the construction of the bridge did not begin shortly.<ref>{{Cite news |date=October 20, 1898 |title=Horak Rebuked by the Mayor |pages=10 |work=The Brooklyn Citizen |via=newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-brooklyn-citizen-horak-rebuked-by-th/134898364/ |access-date=November 9, 2023 |archive-date=November 9, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231109192340/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-brooklyn-citizen-horak-rebuked-by-th/134898364/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=October 20, 1898 |title=Van Wyck Voters Turned Down |pages=1 |work=Times Union |via=newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/times-union-van-wyck-voters-turned-down/134898596/ |access-date=November 9, 2023 |archive-date=November 9, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231109192339/https://www.newspapers.com/article/times-union-van-wyck-voters-turned-down/134898596/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The city allocated $100,000{{efn-lr|About ${{Inflation|index=US-GDP|start_year=1898|value=100000|fmt=c|r=-3}} in {{Inflation/year|US-GDP}}{{Inflation/fn|US-GDP|group=lower-alpha}}}} for preliminary surveys and borings for the Blackwell's Island Bridge, as well as the [[Williamsburg Bridge]] between Manhattan and Brooklyn, at the end of 1898.<ref>{{cite news |date=December 2, 1898 |title=Van Wyck's Bridge Schemes: Money for Preliminary Surveys for Two Given by the Board of Estimate |page=8 |work=New-York Tribune |issn=1941-0646 |id={{ProQuest|574549109}}}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=December 1, 1898 |title=Shea Will Get Money to Begin Third Bridge |pages=1, [https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-brooklyn-daily-eagle-shea-will-get-m/134896832/ 2] |work=The Brooklyn Daily Eagle |via=newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-brooklyn-daily-eagle-shea-will-get-m/134896768/ |access-date=November 9, 2023 |archive-date=November 9, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231109170935/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-brooklyn-daily-eagle-shea-will-get-m/134896768/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

In early 1899, R. S. Buck published plans for an asymmetrical cantilever bridge connecting Queens with Manhattan;<ref name="p278774250" /> the early plans called for a utilitarian design.<ref name="The New York Times 2002 j597" /> The New York City Bridge Department's chief engineer finalized plans for the bridge in October 1899.<ref>{{cite news |date=October 18, 1899 |title=Plans for a New Bridge: Details of the Cantilever Across Blackwell's Island Prepared |page=5 |work=New-York Tribune |issn=1941-0646 |id={{ProQuest|574669841}}}}</ref> Coler drew up a plan for a tunnel between Queens and Manhattan via Blackwell's Island;<ref>{{Cite news |date=December 19, 1899 |title=Bridge and Tunnel Talk; Hearing on the Question Before an Aldermanic Committee |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |issn=0362-4331 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1899/12/19/archives/bridge-and-tunnel-talk-hearing-on-the-question-before-an-aldermanic.html |access-date=November 9, 2023 |archive-date=November 9, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231109170935/https://www.nytimes.com/1899/12/19/archives/bridge-and-tunnel-talk-hearing-on-the-question-before-an-aldermanic.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=December 20, 1899 |title=Coler's Tunnels Attacked: J. Rufus Terry Sends Circular Letters to the Board of Aldermen Opposing the Scheme |page=10 |work=New-York Tribune |issn=1941-0646 |id={{ProQuest|574690070}}}}</ref> he claimed that the tunnel would cost $1.9 million, while the bridge would cost $13 million.<ref>{{Cite news |date=December 30, 1899 |title=Bridge and Tunnel Cost; Controller Tells Aldermen the Difference in Initial Outlay on Blackwell's Island Projects Is $11,100,000. |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |issn=0362-4331 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1899/12/30/archives/bridge-and-tunnel-cost-controller-tells-aldermen-the-difference-in.html |access-date=November 9, 2023 |archive-date=November 9, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231109192338/https://www.nytimes.com/1899/12/30/archives/bridge-and-tunnel-cost-controller-tells-aldermen-the-difference-in.html |url-status=live }}</ref>{{efn-lr|The tunnel plan would be equal to about ${{Inflation|index=US-GDP|start_year=1899|value=1.9|fmt=c|r=0}} million, and the bridge plan equal to ${{Inflation|index=US-GDP|start_year=1899|value=13|fmt=c|r=0}} million, in {{Inflation/year|US-GDP}}{{Inflation/fn|US-GDP|group=lower-alpha}}}} The Board of Aldermen appropriated $1 million{{efn-lr|About ${{Inflation|index=US-GDP|start_year=1899|value=1|fmt=c|r=0}} million in {{Inflation/year|US-GDP}}{{Inflation/fn|US-GDP|group=lower-alpha}}}} for the bridge at the end of 1899.<ref>{{Cite news |date=December 31, 1899 |title=Aldermen's Last Meeting; New Bridge from Pike Street to Brooklyn Provided For |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |issn=0362-4331 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1899/12/31/archives/aldermens-last-meeting-new-bridge-from-pike-street-to-brooklyn.html |access-date=November 8, 2023 |archive-date=November 8, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231108021340/https://www.nytimes.com/1899/12/31/archives/aldermens-last-meeting-new-bridge-from-pike-street-to-brooklyn.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=December 30, 1899 |title=Brooklyn Now Assured of Another E. R. Bridge |pages=1 |work=The Brooklyn Daily Eagle |via=newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-brooklyn-daily-eagle-brooklyn-now-as/134904766/ |access-date=November 9, 2023 |archive-date=November 9, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231109192338/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-brooklyn-daily-eagle-brooklyn-now-as/134904766/ |url-status=live }}</ref> State assemblyman [[Edward C. Brennan]] proposed a bill in January 1900 to appoint commissioners for a bridge or tunnel between Manhattan and Queens.<ref>{{Cite news |date=January 19, 1900 |title=New Routes to Brooklyn: Bill in Legislature Providing for Tunnels and Bridges |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |issn=0362-4331 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1900/01/19/archives/new-routes-to-brooklyn-bill-in-legislature-providing-for-tunnels.html |access-date=November 9, 2023 |archive-date=November 9, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231109203658/https://www.nytimes.com/1900/01/19/archives/new-routes-to-brooklyn-bill-in-legislature-providing-for-tunnels.html |url-status=live }}</ref> The city's Municipal Assembly initially failed to authorize the bridge's construction due to opposition from [[Tammany Hall]] politicians.<ref>{{Cite news |date=September 26, 1900 |title=Bond Issues Authorized; The Municipal Assembly Spurred On by Mandamus Proceedings. |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |issn=0362-4331 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1900/09/26/archives/bond-issues-authorized-the-municipal-assembly-spurred-on-by.html |access-date=November 9, 2023 |archive-date=November 9, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231109203658/https://www.nytimes.com/1900/09/26/archives/bond-issues-authorized-the-municipal-assembly-spurred-on-by.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=September 26, 1900 |title=City Council in Deadlock |pages=3 |work=The Standard Union |via=newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-standard-union-city-council-in-deadl/134907531/ |access-date=November 9, 2023 |archive-date=November 9, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231109203658/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-standard-union-city-council-in-deadl/134907531/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The bridge was approved that November; the bridge was relocated southward so its Manhattan end was near 60th Street.<ref>{{Cite news |date=November 19, 1900 |title=Blackwell's Island Bridge |pages=9 |work=The Brooklyn Citizen |via=newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-brooklyn-citizen-blackwells-island/134906944/ |access-date=November 9, 2023 |archive-date=November 9, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231109203659/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-brooklyn-citizen-blackwells-island/134906944/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=November 20, 1900 |title=Blackwell's Island Bridge Approved |pages=14 |work=New-York Tribune |via=newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/new-york-tribune-blackwells-island-brid/134907873/ |access-date=November 9, 2023 |archive-date=November 9, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231109203701/https://www.newspapers.com/article/new-york-tribune-blackwells-island-brid/134907873/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The [[United States Department of War]], which had to certify the plans for the bridge before any work could begin,<ref name="p570905934">{{cite news |date=January 29, 1901 |title=Blackwell's Island Bridge: The Federal Government Responsible for the Delay in Building It, Mr. York Says |page=5 |work=New-York Tribune |issn=1941-0646 |id={{ProQuest|570905934}}}}</ref> approved the span's construction in February 1901.<ref>{{Cite news |date=February 24, 1901 |title=Bridge Plans Approved; Secretary of War Sanctions the Blackwell's Island Structure. |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |issn=0362-4331 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1901/02/24/archives/bridge-plans-approved-secretary-of-war-sanctions-the-blackwells.html |access-date=November 9, 2023 |archive-date=November 9, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231109203658/https://www.nytimes.com/1901/02/24/archives/bridge-plans-approved-secretary-of-war-sanctions-the-blackwells.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine |date=March 2, 1901 |title=Bridges |magazine=The Construction News |volume=12 |issue=9 |page=136 |id={{ProQuest|128395528}}}}</ref> Initially, the crossing was referred to as East River Bridge No. 4;<ref name="n134908111">{{Cite news |date=February 26, 1901 |title=Shea Is Pushing Work on New Bridge No. 4 |pages=6 |work=The Brooklyn Daily Eagle |via=newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-brooklyn-daily-eagle-shea-is-pushing/134908111/ |access-date=November 9, 2023 |archive-date=November 9, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231109203701/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-brooklyn-daily-eagle-shea-is-pushing/134908111/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="p910589327">{{Cite magazine |date=March 29, 1901 |title=East River Bridge, No. 4, New York |magazine=Railroad Gazette |volume=33 |issue=13 |page=223 |id={{ProQuest|910589327}}}}</ref> the Board of Aldermen voted to officially rename it the Blackwell's Island Bridge in March 1902.<ref>{{Cite news |date=March 19, 1902 |title=Aldermen's Lively War; New East River Bridges Named by the Board. Commissioner Woodbury Attacked and His Resolution for a Brooklyn Deputy Lost – The Chairman Denounced. |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |issn=0362-4331 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1902/03/19/archives/aldermens-lively-war-new-east-river-bridges-named-by-the-board.html |access-date=November 10, 2023 |archive-date=November 10, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231110175022/https://www.nytimes.com/1902/03/19/archives/aldermens-lively-war-new-east-river-bridges-named-by-the-board.html |url-status=live }}</ref>