The Washington herald., 1908-06-30
BIDS FOR NEW SITES
Ground Offered for Bureau OF
Engraving and Printing,
FIVE SQUARES ARE HELD UP
Land South of Mall Can he Had Mt
$1.5O TO $3.50 square FOOt-Ru-
mOrs Are Current that the Bob
niger Property, Rt Cabin John
Bridge, Has Been Sold.

Bids were opened yesterday afternoon
in the Office of the Supervising Architect
Of the Treasury for the ground desired by
the government on which TO erect the
new building OF the Bureau Of Engraving
and Printing. and for the five squares
bounded by Fifteenth street. the Mall.
Fourteenth. street and Pennsylvania ave-
nue., on which the government will erect
buildings for the Departments Of State,
Justice. and Commerce and Labor
The ground desired for the new build
ing Of the Bureau Of Engraving and
Printing is contained In part Of square
81 and all of squares 2S2 and 23S. The
present building of the bureau stands on
square 231, and only a few small pieces
OF property remain, on which bids were
sent in by all but two owners.
Square 232 was offered by Edward p.
Schwartz for $1,000 This is at the rate
of about $3.50 a square foot. The ground
in square 23S was offered to the govern
ment by two persons. The square con-
tains 5000 square feet II was offered
by Mamie r. Jackson at s. a square foot,
which would aggregate Sl3S.O4O Edward
p. Schwartz offered the square at the
lump SUM Of Sl7255O, which would be at
the rate OF $3.50 a square foot.
Bids for Only One-third.
The five squares 10 be purchased for
tho three other buildings named are num-
bered 226 to 230 A number Of bids were
offered for parcels in these squares but
not more than one-third OF the property
was covered by the bids, and the prices
at which the property was offered were
not made public,
It is understood that the Secretary OF
the Treasury, who IS authorized to\ buy
the property for all tho proposed build
ings. will soon take up the matter OF
title 10 the ground offered for the Bureau
Of Engraving and Printing. as il IS de-
sired TO start building operations at the
earliest date. Inasmuch as practically all
the ground Is covered by the bids IL is
probable that Mr. Cortelyou will either
accept the bids as offered or Immediately
proceed with an appraisement provided
he is OF the opinion that the prices asked
are too high.
In the case OF the ground for the other
buildings, probably a slower process viii
be resorted 10, as the tract Is not any
where near represented in the bids The
Secretary can advertise again for bids. or
he can proceed with condemnation pro-
ceedings and force title 20 the property.
Congress at the last session appropriated
S2.50O,0O0 with which 20 purchase the 1--WE
squares In question.
Cabin John Hotel SOIds
For several days rumors have been fly
ing about that a big land deal was in
progress involving the purchase OF the
Bobinger property on the east bank OF
the Potomac and north Of cabin John
Bridge. The hotel and grounds OF the
Cabin John Hotel are a part OF the estate.
The story told Of the negotiations is that
capitalists. possibly representing one of
the local railroad companies. has or is
about TO buy the property. with a view
TO subdivIding il and building up a sub
urban town on the banks OF the Potomac
above Glen Echo.
Part Of the plan. Il Is believed. is TO
reinstate the electric line 70 the Tenually-
town road and open the territory trav-
ersed by II 10 suburban DEVELOPMENT. Il
is also rumored that Il Is the intention
OF the Washington Railway and Electric
Company TO extend its line on the Mary
land side OF the Potomac to Great Falls.
Another side Of the story is that capt.
talists who are rivals Of the Washington
Railway and Electric Company have
bought this property with a view to fore
stalling the extension OF the line.
NJ. A Fitzpatrick will erect In the near
future a two-story frame house at 4027
Connecticut avenue, al a cost Of 5000 G
West prepared the plans.
G. W. Corbett, contractor, has been
commissioned to remodel and make re-
pairs to the shoe store at $40 10 3l2 Sew
enth street northwest. at an estimated
cost Of $1,000 The property belongs 10
the estate Of Samuel Fowler, John Buck
Ter and Rosa 4 EberIv