Chapter 319: New York Crystal Palace
This is the first time that the Crystal Palace in New York has been unveiled in its entirety. The Crystal Palace is 400 meters long, 130 meters wide, 30 meters high at the flat top, and 42 meters high at the arch.
The entire building is slightly smaller than the original Crystal Palace in London, but the choice of building materials is different from that of the Crystal Palace in London.
Considering the problem of dismantling after the World Expo, the Crystal Palace in London uses all cast iron and glass building materials.
The Crystal Palace Mall in New York does not have this problem, and the construction period is also longer, so it can use thicker cast iron beams than the Crystal Palace in London. In addition, considering the structural strength, the walls of the first floor are not made of all glass walls, but masonry walls.
The Crystal Palace, which hosted the London World Expo, was demolished as scheduled in 1852. The new Crystal Palace was rebuilt in Sydenham Hill in southern London and was not completed until 1854. Therefore, the Crystal Palace Mall in New York became the only Crystal Palace in this period.
At this time, the shocking warmth left by the first World Expo was still there, so many spectators traveled thousands of miles from Europe to New York by boat to see the New York Crystal Palace Shopping Mall.
Shocking, this was Fillmore's first impression of the New York Crystal Palace Shopping Mall. He felt it was worth it to be able to cut the ribbon for such a New York wonder.
Liang Yao always brought him some new tricks and some unexpected surprises.
"Mr. Liang, thank you very much for spending a lot of money to build the Crystal Palace and build it into a long-lasting shopping mall, so that New York citizens can experience shopping in this miracle of industrial civilization every day. This is a genius idea."
Paxton extended his hand enthusiastically and shook hands with Liang Yao.
Paxton is now a close friend of Prince Albert, the husband of Queen Victoria. He has received a reward of 5,000 pounds from the British Empire for designing the Crystal Palace. It can be said that he has gained both fame and fortune and has become a hot upper-class figure in the British region.
"Only a genius designer like you can make genius ideas come true, otherwise no matter how good the idea is, it is just a castle in the air." Liang Yao said while looking at the magnificent Crystal Palace Mall.
There is a glass corridor around the main building of the Crystal Palace in New York. This is a project that Paxton failed to build in the Crystal Palace in London, and finally realized in New York.
"Get ready to start cutting the ribbon." Van Daze couldn't wait to hand over a pair of exquisite scissors.
He has been waiting for this day for two years. When the Crystal Palace was still under construction, he often ran to the construction site, eagerly looking forward to the early completion of the mall.
"Mr. President, please." Liang Yao made a gesture of invitation to Fillmore.
Fillmore smiled and solemnly took the scissors from Van Daze, saying, "It is my honor to cut the ribbon for the Crystal Palace Mall."
Immediately, Fillmore completed the ribbon cutting in front of dozens of cameras that had been set up, and then took a group photo with Liang Yao and others in front of the gate of the Crystal Palace Mall.
This scene made Stuart, who came to inspect the Crystal Palace Mall, jealous. He invited the governor of New York to cut the ribbon for the Marble Palace, which made him very proud at the time.
The president personally cut the ribbon at the Crystal Palace Mall. Not only did local New York celebrities such as Fish, Buckhouse, and Vanderbilt come to support them, but even European nobles such as the Rothschild family and the Baring family sent representatives to the scene. The Crystal Palace Mall can be said to have earned enough face and gimmicks.
After the group photo, Fillmore and others couldn't wait to say that they wanted to enter the Crystal Palace Mall for a visit, which made Fan Daze feel very embarrassed. Fan Daze came to Liang Yao and whispered to Liang Yao: "What about the tens of thousands of customers outside the Crystal Palace?"
Liang Yao looked at the endless and equally impatient New York citizens. It was obviously inappropriate to put all these people into the mall at once.
Fillmore is now the president, and he must consider Fillmore's safety, but the New York citizens outside cannot be made to feel neglected. Besides, the mall also needs popularity. Liang Yao thought for a moment and said, "Let two thousand citizens in first, and then the mall will be fully open after these distinguished guests leave. Notify the mall's security personnel to maintain order on the scene."
Fan Daze nodded and said, "I know."
Liang Yao led Fillmore and others through the Crystal Palace Shopping Mall and the mall gate under the American Group trademark, and walked into the interior of the Crystal Palace.
Because the dome and the walls above the second floor are made of glass components, the interior of the mall is very well lit and looks very spacious.
Fillmore couldn't help but marvel and asked curiously, "How much did the Crystal Palace cost to build?"
"2.8 million US dollars." Liang Yao replied, and he was also very satisfied with the effect of the Crystal Palace.
2.8 million US dollars Fillmore felt that Liang Yao, the gold tycoon, was still very wealthy, which was almost equivalent to the annual fiscal revenue of a medium-sized state.
In fact, the cost of the Crystal Palace could have been lower, but because the cast iron prefabricated components at the joints could not be produced by American manufacturers, they could only be purchased from British manufacturers at high prices.
In addition, the triangular roof system used by the Crystal Palace shopping mall, the integrated drainage system integrated into the building structure, and the curtain wall shutter design of the ventilation system are all patents held by the British. Liang Yao paid a considerable amount of patent usage fees to the British side for this.
The cost of 2.8 million US dollars was at least 300,000 US dollars earned by British merchants.
Technology and patents are money, which began to take shape in the mid-19th century.
Backhouse, who had never had a good relationship with Liang Yao, was smiling from ear to ear when he visited the Crystal Palace Shopping Mall. He was in a very happy mood. Even the eyes he looked at Liang Yao were much kinder. This Liang Yao was not that unpleasant. People are disgusting.
Liang Yao also knew why Backhouse was so happy. The unprecedented popularity shown by Crystal Palace Mall in New York on the first day of its opening also showed that Liang Yao's business plan to build a business district in New York and open a comprehensive shopping mall was successful.
small book booth
The land prices around the Crystal Palace shopping mall are bound to skyrocket, and the owner of the surrounding land is Backhouse.
It can be said that Backhouse became the winner lying down.
"Mr. Backhouse, don't forget the gambling agreement we signed. I think you are now ready to give me 2 acres of land in Manhattan." Liang Yao teased Backhouse.
When he originally purchased the 5-acre piece of land, Backhouse's asking price was US$200,000 per acre. In the end, Liang Yao and Backhouse signed a gambling agreement.
Liang Yao purchased the 5 acres of land from Backhouse at a unit price of US$150,000 per acre. Within four years, the land price around the business district could not rise to US$240,000 per acre in four years. Liang Yao needed to pay for it. An additional $90,000 per acre was paid to Backhouse as compensation for the five acres of land purchased.
On the contrary, Backhouse had to give Liang Yao two acres of land in Manhattan.
Now the land price in Manhattan has risen to US$220,000 per acre. After the Crystal Palace Mall is put into operation and the construction of surrounding supporting facilities is completed, it will be easy for the land price in Manhattan, which is the core of New York, to rise to US$240,000 per acre.
Backhouse now still owns 23 acres of land in Manhattan. If he gives Liang Yao another 2 acres, he still has 21 acres of land. In exchange for the two acres of land, the remaining 21 acres of land will be increased by more than $40,000 per acre. This is such a beautiful thing. Backhouse would laugh out of his dreams.
Backhouse had already imagined in his mind the wonderful vision of building more houses in Manhattan and collecting more rent, and he felt happy.
"I will donate 2 acres of land in Manhattan as agreed, and you can choose the location." This was the first time Backhouse was so polite to Liang Yao, and then Backhouse said to Liang Yao again.
"Very good, our win-win cooperation this time can be said to be a model of business cooperation in New York." Liang Yao was also in a very happy mood.
Based on this calculation, plus the deed paid to the New York government, he actually acquired 7 acres of land in Manhattan, New York, for US$110,000 per acre, almost half the market price.
He is now also a large landowner in New York, owning 7 acres of land in New York, still in Manhattan. This is something he could not even imagine in the 21st century, but it was realized in the mid-19th century.
Moreover, these land assets are not dead assets. It is quite easy to use the land in New York as collateral to obtain a part of the loan from the bank as working capital. After all, land in New York is now the most valuable land in the United States.
"General Liang, are you interested in building business districts in Boston and Philadelphia? I also have land in the core areas of Boston and Philadelphia. If you want to build shopping malls in other big cities, please be sure to come to me for cooperation. I can provide it to you for free. Enough land!" Backhouse swallowed his saliva and said to Liang Yao, his eyes looking at Liang Yao were full of expectation.
Backhouse, who has enjoyed success in New York, hopes to enjoy the same success in other big cities.
There is a successful example in New York, which gave Liang Yao some land to increase the price of the land around him. This deal is very cost-effective no matter how you look at it.
The Astor family, which has always been famous for being stingy in New York and regards land in the city as a treasure, took the initiative to give land in the city to Liang Yao. Fish and Vanderbilt who were standing by were shocked and felt very incredible.
If New York is the only first-tier city in the United States, Philadelphia and Boston are the first-tier cities in the United States after New York.
Although the land prices in Philadelphia and Boston are not as high as those in New York, they are definitely not low. The land in these two cities is also a hot commodity in the real estate industry.
Liang Yao intercepted Backhouse's son John's gold worth millions of dollars in Sacramento. This was a well-known fact in the New York business community.
As a representative of the so-called old aristocracy in New York, the attitude of Backhouse, the helmsman of the Astor family, towards Liang Yao also shows that not only the new aristocracy of New York headed by Vanderbilt recognize Liang Yao, but also the old aristocracy of New York also recognize and accept Liang Yao.