Evening star., 1925-01-03
CAPITALS SWIFT PACE
IN BUILDING KEEPS Up
Year Just Closed Sho,us a Total of
SIT, 6,5O1 ,648-Ahead of Several
Much Larger Cities.

With the passing of 1924 another
peak year in construction in the Ma
tionsl Capital was added to a list that
for the past four years has shown un-
precedented building activity
In 1922 building took a tremendous
leap forward and since that time
there has been no marked deviation
While in actual value construction
IN 1928 was ahead of construction
last year, in the number of projects
the year just closed was ahead In
fact, if it were not for one s., 200. 900
hotel project in 1929 the year just
closed would be in the lead in value
also.
Washington not only has to COM
pliment itself on its fine showing
in the local building field, but it may
we'll be proud of its situation nation
ally, when it is considered that the
Capital is ahead of such great COM
mercial and industrial centers as
Baltimore, st. Louis. etc. In fact. in
the reports and surveys during the
year Washington has repeatedly
stood ninth and tenth, among a list of
cities whose area and population far
outstrip this city's.
Falls Below 1923 Work.
The valuation of last years con-
struction in the District of Columbia,
*46,5o1.64S, is $3.243,375 behind the
total of 49.744.923 of 1923. But com
pared with this is lead of $50 more
projects completed than in 1928. The
total number of permits issued in
1928 was S,S11, while in 1924 it was
9,191.
One of the outstanding features
of the past year is the great increase
in the number of dwellings construct
ed. There were 27O3 houses of all
types built last year, compared with
2,18S in 1928, according to a survey
OF the monthly records kept in the
office of the building inspector. This
great Increase in houses. much of
which was row-house constructions
however, has reduced the c zoned
area available in the city to prac-
ttcally what is now a shortage. The
c. area permits of business and row.
house construction.
With the gradual spread of busi-
ness sections toward the northwest
section of the city there has been a
corresponding increase in Office and
store building The financial center
is in the vicinity of Fifteenth and II
streets. the real estate section in the
vicinity of Fourteenth and X streets.
stores and offices have sprung up
along Connecticut avenue department
stores have taken over old office
buildings in the older sections of the
city and this has resulted in their
replacement in other sections.
Grouping Is Observed.
The tendency of professional
groups to gather in selected spots
and occupy their own buildings has
I'm great measure helped to develop
individual sections of the city. There
were Ill stores and - large office
buildings constructed last year.
With houses taking the lead in all
types of construction, garages ran a
close second with total of 2.243.
This is considerably behind the num-
Der built in 1928, which totaled
2,751.
Apartments took a slight lead this
year. Sixty-ffve new buildings were
erected, large and small, in almost
every section of the city. In 1928
62 were erected.
The records OF the building inspec-
tors office show that there have
been all types of warehouses, sheds, |
service stations, clubs, gas stations, |
churches. banks, hotels, schools and
buildings of practically every other
type erected. There has been no out
standing activity over the past few
years in these types of buildings.
Much Repair Work Done.
There has been a great deal of
renovating and remodeling of exist
ing structures. Repairs last year
amounted to s3,S94,73O. This is in
cluded in the total valuation of the
years building.
That section of the District outside !
the old boundary lines of the city !
of Washington was the most benefited |
by new construction, while the north |
west section of the city ran next. |
According to the building inspector |
the District of Columbia is rapidly |
becoming filled, and if the present |