Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-12-20
REAL ESTATE GOSSIP
Municipal Building COMPETE
ton and It's Close.
UNION DEPOT PROJECT
PROBABLE EFFECT ON PROPERTY
VALUES AND USES.
Future Of the Real Estate Exchange
as Outlined by President
Heiskell-Other Matters.

18th street. The plans, as prepared by b.
Stanley Simmons, architect, show a house
Of generous proportions, with frontage OF
nearly thirty feet, extending back to
depth of seventy-four feet, leaving a ten
foot space the full depth of the building OH
the east side. The front will be of pressed
brick and brown stone, extending as far
back as the library bay. 1t will be three
stories high above basement terminating
with steep tile mansard roof presenting a
simple and cignified appearance.
On the first floor will be the parlor, recep-
ton hall, library, dining rooms, buffers pam
tries and kitchen, finished in curley birch
and quartered oak. The upper floors will
contain sitting room, seven bed rooms and
bath, finished in natural woods.
Municipal Building Design.
General satisfaction is expressed by
architects as to the result of the COMPETE
ton for the plan of the proposed municipal
building, which was announced last week.
1t is naturally source Of regret that the
award did not come to a Washington
architect, not only because of the credit to
the local profession, but on account Of the
excellence of some of the designs submit
ted by them. 1t may be said in passing
that while the award went to an architect
outside of this city, the showing made by
the washington competitors-and they
numbered seven out of the twelve-was
credtable in the highest degree.
In fact, it is the judgment of some who
are competent to express an opinion Of the
subject that in the trea tment of the exte-
rlor OF the building the designs of several
of the local contestants were superior to
the one that was given the premier place
1t Is believed that the controlling motive
for giving the award to Cope & Stewardson
OF Philadelphia was the superiority in their
roc fvr,ny IF hnc 80 h.; r;N
rangement of the structure which is the
all-important matter. 1t goes without say
ing, the architectural treatment should be
appropriate and slightly. and in both par
ticulars, it is stated the accepted design
stands without criticism.
A Main Feature.
The leading feature of the interior ar
rangement of the accepted plan is the pro-
vision made on the main floor for the large
hall or assembly room which was called
for in the requirements The architects
have placed this room at the bottom of the
central court. with roof over it, the court
itself being covered, and in this respect
differing from the treatment ,of the interior
court of the general post office building In
the latter the court is covered both at the
end of the first story and at the roof line.
1t is proposed to use this ROOM which is
capable of accommodating from two hum
dred to three hundred people, for public
hearings and other occasions when a
large number of people wish to meet at the
District building.
1t may also be stated that 1t seemed to be
the general opinion of those who took part
in the contest, and who therefore, have
given the subject more careful thought
than it Is likely any other class of persons
have done, that the present site is made
quate for building to meet all the re-
quirements of the District government as
set forth IN the plan of competition. The
n ~ a md
to be provided, and that a building of not
more than four. or a the most five, stories
should be erected.
Union Depot Site.
Property owners as well as investors were
much interested in the announcement made
during the past week that the House Of
Representatives had passed the Senate bill
providing for union railroad station at
Massachusetts and Delaware avenues. AS
there are some amendments it will be neces-
sary for the measure to go back to the
Senate for the approval of that body be-
fore it will be ready to receive the approval
of the President. However, there Is no
doubt that these legislative stages will all
be passed and that before the close of the
present session of Congress there will be a
law On the statute books authorizing and
requiring the steam railroads entering the
city to erect a union station on the site
above mentioned.
OF course, this carries with 1t the REQUIRE
ment on the part of the railroad companies
to depress and elevate their tracks within
the limits of the city so that the dangerous
grade crossings, after years Of effort on the
part of citizens, will finally be eliminated.
This latter will be a substantial benefit to
the northeastern and southern sections of
the city, and will have beneficial influence
on property values in those localities.
The Expenditure of Money.
Already large sums of money have been
expended by both companies in acquiring
property along the projected lines of the
roads within and near the city, and to this
expenditure must be added the amount that
will be needed to change the tracks and to
put up the elaborate depot building with it's
approaches which has been planned The
entire expenditure Is estimated to be be-
tween $4,000,O00 and $1,000, O0O.
The Union Depot Site.
Property holders and people who have
money to invest in realty are much inter-
ested in another phase of the matter, and
that is the probable effect on the future de-
velopment of the city by the shifting of
such an important center, or rather CEN
tiers. as the two railroad depots are How
ever, the change in the case of the Balti-
more and Ohio railroad is rather slight
one, but with the Pennsylvania company
the move is more radical. AS Is well known
such places in a city become the centers of
thoroughfare, and the latter have a de-
termining influence on the character of the
improvements which are on each side. At
present Pennsylvania avenue is the great
thoroughfare between both the railroad de-
pots and what may be termed the main sec
lions of the city, or the principal localities
where people coming to the city want to
go.
Influence on Property.
When the new depot is completed,
which 1t is expected 1t will be in the course
of the next four or five years, the question
is what will be the favorite line Of COM
munication between that point and other
sections Of the city. AS is well known,
while the depot, which Is to be an enor-
nous structure, will have a frontage ON
Massa chusetts avenue. it will extend back
some two or three squares, nearly to I
street from its southern beginning, which
is about on a line with f street. 1t is
thought that of the effects of this
change will be to move the business section