Evening star., 1926-11-19
District Building Needs.

District Building Needs.
Present plans for the ALLEGATION of
space in the Mall-Avenue triangle.
which it is proposed that the Govern
ment acquire as whole At once. do
not include provision for the exten-
sion of the Municipal Building. which
has become urgently necessary. For
several years the need of more room
for municipal administrative activities
has been keenly felt. The present
District Building was practically out
grown. before il had heen completed.
Almost immedist teiy after it's occu-
pancy makeshifts had TO he devised
10 provide more space for workers
and for files. At present the work
there is done in difficult circ,'m-
stances Corridors are blocked off to
provide rooms that ohstruct the light.
Several branches of tho District ad-
mi1istration are housed outside. Dur
ing the long wait for the use OF the
Ave square site. between Pennsylvania
avenue and 3 street and Fourteenth
and Fifteenth streets. use Of the old
structures therein has neen granted
by the Treasury for municipal offices
Of one kind and another. When that
ground is cleared for the buildings
Immediately contemplated for erec-
ton the District will he deprived Of
these quarters and the congestion
within the Municipal Building will be-
come much more serious. or else
heavy rentals will have to he paid for
other quarters.
1t has been for some years In con
templat ton that the annex or addition
to the District Building would he
erected on the land immediately to
the south. That would be most %f
tective arrangement and would not
affect the architectural aspect OF the
present structure from the Pennsyl-
Wania avenue viewpoint. IL is now
proposed to place in that space tn"
General Supplies Building, with the
Department OF Labor farther south.
bordering on tho Mall. This would
cut the District Building off from any
acuthward nxpa n4ion. and would ne
cessitate the use of the structure TO
the east owned and occupied by the
Southern Railway Co. A a mere
makeshift that building would he OF
use and with perhaps alterations
would WELD the space necessary and
L., Il linr
municipal Offices. But II would not nj
into the architectural scheme contem-
plated for the treatment Of the Penn
sylvania avenue front OF the triangle.
Eventually it would have to be razed
and replaced by structure in har-
mony with it's neiehbors to the east
and the west.
Whether the District annex is to
ne placed 10 the south or tn the east,
" should he on commodious site.
II should no definitely provided for in
the present arrangement OF struc-
lures II should not he left TO an in
definite future II it is felt that the
apare Immediately south of the Dis
trict Building is hest ada pied to the
Federal uses. that TO the east should
be specifically included for municipal
headquarters expansion. II. on the
other band il is after the fullest con-
Sideration decided that Federal
building should he placed upon the
Avenue front on that block, with the
spare south of the District Building
allocated to municipal expansion pur-
poses. that arrangement should he in
cluded in the program to he at once
adopted and put into execution.
The District housing needs. which
are as urgent AS are those of the Fed
eral Government. must he taken into
account at this time and provided for.
with full consideration Of the fact
that the municipal orea nization is
now crowded and scattered. with loss
Of eficienCy and waste of money.
and that if proper provision is not
now made the future will bring prob
lens thar cannot he solved as effec-
lively az they can he Al present.