Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-02-13
FOR INCREASED AREA
BUSINESS MEN GRAvITATING
TOWARD NEW SECTION.
Significance Of Recent Transfer or
Barton Hotel Property-Two
Firms Interested.

The purchase of the Barton Hotel prop
erty, on 18th street Just south of Fl street,
by Mr.. w. B. Hibbs. as announced. has an
Importance aside from the transfer of
realty. as It Is looked upon as marking a
long step forward in the movement of
spreading I'M that direction of the business
section of the city.
While Mr.. Hibbs appears In the negotia-
ton as the purchaser of the entire prop
erty, which has frontage of seventy-fiye
feet and total area Of some 1921 square
feet. he has, In fact. an arrangement, or
an understanding, with the real estate cor
poration of Swartzell, Rheem q Hensey by
which the property will be divided between
that company and w. b. Hibbs & Co.
When the new owners get in possession
the purpose of both is to put up two new
structures that will occupy the entire 'front.'
age. with such use of the back ground as
the needs of the business may make neces-
sary. Mr.. Hibhs will have the southern
portion of the property, where he will erect
building suitable for his own uses, with
offices in the upper floors.
= Swartzell, Rheem & Hensey will put up
a one-story structure, or as large as will
be required for the needs of their own
business. The price paid for the property
was 100000. or about $3.50 per square
foot.
Significance Of Change.
The change in location which this will
bring about in the case of the real estate
corporation amounts to a good deaf, as
at present 1t is occupying the building GIG
F street. where it's business was begun a
good many years ago. but under different
organization.
Mr.. Hibbs has his office, where he has
been for a number of years, in the Glover
building, on F street between 18th and 18th
streets, so that the change will not be as
great in point of distance with the
realty corporation. But In both cases the
new place will be toward the outer edge
of the growing business section. and the
developments which seem to be going on
with rapidity will doubt change that
condition good deal by the time the new
buildings are ready for use. which will not
be, of course, until some time late in the
year.
The immediate location is one that shows
the Influence OF the changes that are going
on. Around the corner on III street, i'm both
the blocks to the east and the west of 18th
street, the old residences are being turned
into business uses. The new owner of the
Colonial Hotel, at the corner of 18th and
H streets has announced his purpose to
make such changes in the lower floor OF
that building az will make it suitable for
business uses.
Other Business Structures.
At the corner on the south Is the new
puhoilB Oh the American security ana
Trust Company, while adjoining It on Penn
sylvania avenue is the home of the Riggs
Bank.
At the northeast corner of 10th street is
the office of the National Safe Deposit Saw
ings and Trust Co., SO that with the erection
of the two buildings ION the Barton Hotel
site there will remain nothing on that side
of the block up to II street that Will not be
used for business purposes except the build
ing of the George Washington University
at the corner of 18th and II streets The
prospect is that this latter structure is
to follow the course of the other improve
ments of that character as soon as the
buildings which are to be put up for the
university on Its new site are erected