 To get Patterson to acquiesce to the tower plan, Hood framed the plan as an "efficient" business decision and prepared numerous models for possible buildings, concluding that the most efficient one was a skyscraper of between 35 and 40 stories.On the west side of the building was the Commercial High School, which the New York City Board of Education was planning to tear down.The "Daily News" and the Board of Education each agreed to cede toward a pedestrian walkway, which would make the Daily News Building freestanding on most of its frontage, but only the "Daily News" section of the walkway was built, as the high school remained standing until the late 20th century.