Evening star., 1926-09-26
Grass PIats Would Promise
Completion of U. S. Build
ings in 3 to 5 Years.
CONGRESS TO GET PLEA
TO RUSH PROPOSITION
Erection of Five Structures Will
Be Sought at 0nce-Funds
Ready for Three.
BY WILL p. KENNEDY.

Not only have administration lead
ers, including President Coolidge and
mem oers of his cabinet. committed
themselves to the plan advanced by
Secretary Mellon at the last meeting
Of the Public Buildings, National
Capital Parks and Planning and Fine
Arts Commissions for immediate pur-
chase of all OF the privately owned
land in the triangle between Pennsyl.
vania avenue and the Mall, but It Is
proposed that the public buildings to
be erected in this area shall not be
closely congested, but entire squires
and triangles be left open for lawn
and park development
This will mean an attractive de-
velopment of the entire triangle area.
which for more than 25 years has
been an eyesore in the most conspic-
uous part of the Capital City, within
the next three to five years under the
$50, 900 900 public building program,
instead of having to wait another 10
to 25 years for complete occupancy
of this area by costly buildings.
According to the plan now being
worked upon the incoming session OF
Congress will be asked to approve not
only the immediate purchase or the
privately owned land. but that the en-
tire triangle be at once developed by
the erection of five new buildings, for
three of which appropriations have
already been made. and the rest of the
space thrown into grass plots which
will give these buildings proper set
ting. 1t had previously been expected
that the privately owned squares
would be acquired piecemeal over
long term of years and that the Cap
ital would have to await complete
development until funds were avail
able for ten or a dozen buildings.
With a decision reached to place the
new $4,000, 900 home for the Depart
ment of Commerce on the sites here
tofore allocated to the prospective new
buildings for the Departments OF JUS
tice and Labor, 1t is now intended to
place these new departmental build
ines which are to be the next batch
to be recommended to Congress, on the
two sites now occupied by the center
or retail market and the wholesale
market. AS the Department OF JUS
tice needs a much larger building than
the Department Of Labor. 1t Is prob
able that the Justice building VIII ne
placed between Ninth and Ientn
streets, facing Pennsylvania avenue
and running back to B street. and that
the new Labor building will be on the
present Center Market site.
However, there is a possibility that
the District Government may be given
one of these new buildings and placed
ON the Center Market site. The pres
ent District Building, which Is recog-
ntzed as one of the most beautiful
structures in the Capital would be
given to some other activity, possibly
the Department OF Labor.
Present Building Crowded.
The present District Building is al.
ready overcrowded and not partic-
ularly we'll adapted to District govern.
n1ent needs. The new public utilities
act, which is awaiting the Presidents
signature as soon as Congress meets.
provides that this new agency shall
be given offices in the Municipal
Building. There is now no space
available for this new branch of the
District government. Two squares
south of the present District Build
ing have been held in reserve for
future expansion of this building.
which, II, is suggested, could just as
we'll be used for expansion of some
other Government department.
Building is fathered by the Commits
sion of Fine Arts. which has always
contended that the Center Market site
is the logical location of the Municipal
Building. where it. would occupy a
commanding position midway between
the Capitol and White House on
Pennsylvania avenue and face to-
ward the center. of the city. In the
report of the Mcmillan Park Commits.
sion in 1901, which brought up to
date the L'Enfant plan for future
Capital development. provision was
made for extension of Ninth street
through the mall, to give a cross.
panel effect. which would relieve the
monotony of a continuous stretch
from the Capital to the Lincoln
Memorial.
1t was the cross-panel plan that
Influenced the decision to locate the
new Commerce building on the Fiji.
teenth street site. The Fine Arts
Commission held firm for the exten.
sion Of Ninth street through the Mall.
There would not be room for the Com.
merce building on the PENNSYLVANIA
avenue site unless it could have the
entire area between Seventh and Tenth
streets, which would necessitate the
closing up OF Ninth street. 1t would
the Capital planners have in mind.
north on Eighth street to see the
south pottico OF the historic Patent
once Building. considered one of this
choice bits of architecture among the
older buildings. Secretary Hoover
was unwilling to thwart the plans of
the Fine Arts Commission and so ac.
cepted the Fifteenth street site.
General Policy Approved.
The general policy of alternating i'm.
pressive buildings and open spaces
in the treatment of the area south Of
Pennsylvania avenue was discussed at
the conference last week and approved
by all those most interested in the
CITY Beautiful" program for the Ma.
tioral Capital. being especially sup.
ported by several members Of the
cabinet, who pointed out that 1t would
be absurd to crowd thousands of
Government workers into this rela.
lively small area. They also empha.
sized that 1t would be an architectural
monstrosity to pack monumental
buildings side by side, and that to
give a proper frontage for the Mall
there should be, as far as possible.
alternate stretches Of greensward be.
tween these buildings. which would
CONTINUED on Pare J. Column IL