Evening star., 1920-01-31
BIC D. c. BUILDING
.OPERAT|0NSAWAIT
SUITABLE WEATHER
IaShingtonianS Abandon
Policy of Waiting for Lower
Price of Materials.

Resumption of building operations in
ye District of Columbia on scale COM
.rab1e with or even in excess of, years
r Tor to the beginning of the world war
evidenced by plans compieted or
icing made and by contracts already
igned for work to begin as soon as
Gather conditions become such as to
lake it possible.
Apparently realizing that no percep-
tible lowering of material and labor
costs is to be expected soon. Washing
ton builders have abandoned the walt :
ing policy of the last year ana nan
and are embarking on construction
program that should insure rapid aiie-
Walton of congested conditions that nave
existed here since the National Capital
began its wartime growth in popuia-
ton.
washington at present is At least
5000 houses and apartments underbuit'
said a prominent real estate operator
and builder this week. THAT is 10 say.
il will require at least that number OF
homes and apartments to accommodate
the present demand for living quarters
Apartments DeteriOrate.
This does not mean that the city is
actually short of that number OF homes
and apartments But many of the
Years ago have deteriorated 10 such an
extent now that they no longer are
strictly desirable. and tenants are anX-
iously looking for other accommodations.
Depreciation of properties has oeen
rapid and marked in the years during
which builders and owners were walt
ing for lower material and labor costs
or unable to buy materials or obtain
labor at any cost.
while our firm does an extensive
in har ri
the present time we have at least
fifty applica tions for every apartment
listed with US. While / cannot speak
for other firms. | believe the condi-
tiOn is general.
The same thing is true as regards
fouses. both rental and for purchase
AS an example, a week or so ago a
Chevy Chase home of seven rooms
was listed wsth us for immediate dis
posaI, either on long lease or for
sale. Within an hour after the ad-
vertisement appeared we had twenty
applicants for the house. which was
sold to the second applicant Inc
buyer was so anxious to get posses
sion that he bought the furniture, in
cluding a pianola-
Office Quarters Also Scarce.
"And for Office quarters. they are as
scarce and hard to hnd as homes ana
apartments. If two or three ten
story office buildings were to pc
erected in the downtown section TINS
year they would be filled as soon as
completed. without causing any nota-
BILE list of vacancies in present once
structures.
Two such buildings are to De erect
ed during the year. one on an surrey
location. | understand.
Half a dozen apartment houses 10.
various parts of the northwest ana
Northeast and one for nortn-
west semi-suburban location arc
also planned as part OF the spring
building program. Home builders are
Arranging for the development of many
outlying sections of the District OF
Columbia, and, so far as can be judged
at this time. the only obstacle IN tne
way of a building season such as Wash-
ington has not known for years is the
labor supply. At least dozen prof.
ects involving erection of from ten 10
fifty or more homes each are simply
waiting for building weather, with as
MANY more for which arrangements
practically are completed and stlil
others developing Arrangements have
ALI been made for financing these oper-
ations: materials are obtainable. even
if prices are towering. and labor will
be available. il is expected; so that
Washington may begin in earnest this
-pring TO catch up its five years arrears
n general building operations"