Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-04-08

out to make room for business. Real estate
values have beenseEected to marked de-
gree by this march of business activity
Mess some case Of freak prfce during
a boom could be quoted as an exception
there is absolutely no instance of any de-
preciatio of values within this entire area
During the past year the Times building
has been constructed on the north side OF
r street but practically on. and facing,
Pennsylvania avenue. a considerable adj
dition to the Post building on Pennsylvania
avenue mas been added The magnificent
municipal building, in which the District
govern mlent will he housed has been under
construction and it will not be long before
It's harmonious proportions will be seen
looming I'D as another magnificent land
mark along the grand avenue which has
been the scene of so many historic events
in connection with the government of the
United states.
Building Operations on the Mall
The business center of the city must also
be somewhat affected by the operations of
the government in the Mall. There is now
under construction a magnificent building
in keeping with the best architecture to
be found in tie city, on the south side of
street northwest for the National Mu-
scum This building. the value Of which
runs into the millions, is to contain grand
exhibition rooms where for the first time in
the history of the government, its treas
ures that have been shown In the rather
temporary structure on the south SIDE OF
the Mall Will be placed in SUCH imposing
setting as to attract attention of visitors
from all parts of the world. The old world
museums will be rivaled when this SPLEEN
did museum has been completed, and when
the treasures of the government are placed
on exhibition within it.
On the south side of the Mall there is
under construction a new building for the
Department of Agriculture. That too. is
to be in the best style of architecture that
the government employs, and 1t will have
Capacity for an enlargement of the ac-
tivities of the Department of Agriculture
which has been unknown in the past It
also VIII contain rooms for an exhibition
of the same sort that is now found about
the old Department of Agriculture.
These improvements it is expected, will
be followed by efforts to further beautify
the surroundings connected with the APP
proaches of these buildings. All of this
VIII tend to influence that portion of the
city lying between the Mall and the avenue
the inevitable result being increased, values
there although there has been but little of
such increase in recent years.
Construction of Apartment Houses.
Business men regard the construction OF
large apartment houses all about and 20 the
north of the business center of the city as
another reason why this section is destined
to be of Increasing Importance. In many
instances during the past year half dozen
or a dozen houses have been torn down to
make place for great apartment buildings
These houses have represented dom Giles for
as many families but in giving place TO an
apartment house the same site has made
homes for six, eight or ten times as many
families. This has resulted in the concen-
! tration of the population to a very cons.d-
cradle extent, and the present indications
are that what has been done in this respect
in the last few years will continue. So
| that the downtowns business section is be-
Ing rapidly skirted on the north with a
dense pop ulation to ado to the volume Of
business transacted. People have been
heard to say during some years past that
the apartment house boom would soon
cease and it would not be long before these
great structures Would want for tenants
and in that way the building of further
apartment houses would be stopped. But
the experience of real estate men has been
that the apartment houses built during the
past year have been occupied as readily as
in any other period Of this development of
the city. Even the apartment houses near
ing completion at this time 1t is said by
agents who control them, have been wholly
rented, so that soon they are finished
they will be occupied by tenants.
Many real estate men are inclined to re-
gard the construction of apartment houses
as of very esp ecial Importance in the de-
Yelopment of the downtown business prop
erty. In large number of cases men who
construct apartment houses desire to have
them located within a reasonable walking
distance from the business center of the
city. Very many tenants regard such loea-
ton as involving a very considerable say
ing in carfare as well as in convenience
The result is concentration not only of