Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-06-30
COMMERCE T0GET
HUGE STRUCTURE
Work to Start on Building,
Second Only to Capitol in
Size, in Short Time.
BY WILL r. KENNEDY

BY WILL r. KENNEDY.
The Department of Commerce build |
ing, one of those included In the f1ve-
year building program, will be the
largest Government building IN
Washington except the Capitol--of
monumental type, containing 1000
600 square feet net of Office space. and
costing s10.ooo.000 for construction
alone. 1t will he erected on the Mall,
paralleling the new administra ton
building OF the Department of Agri- |
culture. and lined up with the Ma
tional Museum
In this monster office building, the
front OF which will occupy two city
blocks, it Is designed to house all OF
the many and varied activities of the
Department of Commerce. except the
Bureau of Standards. which has It's
own group OF buildings on connecti-
cut avenue. An immediate appropria-
ton of 5000, 900 and Il SlO.000.o 900 au-
thoriZation was approved by the
House yesterday.
The Department of Commerce Is
essentially u service department of
the Government dealing directly with
the people and working day after day
and year after year for general pros.
pcrity. II is now inadequately housed
in 33 buildings. some Of which are
tiretraps, II pays $4,000 year
rental for the leased building which
is administration headquarters and
with the lease soon Ia expire and the I
owners Of the property anxious not to
renew It.
Will BE so Feet High.
The new building. rising so feet
from the ground level. With six floors
and basement is 10 he located on the
Mall, directly south of r street north
west. on Government-owned land, be
tween Twelfth and Fourteenth streets,
west of the National Museum Build
ing. In summarizing the needs of
the department and plans for the
building before the House appropria-
tons committee, Supervising Architect
Wetmore said;
The requirements of the Depart
ment of Commerce are estimated at
approximately 100000 square feet
Of floor space. and this requires a
building of approximately 500 feet
frontage and $50 feet i'm depth, with
a basement and three stories.
THE location REQUIRES a stone faced
building. monumental in style. No
design has been prepared. but build |
ing of this character will cost APP
proXimately G5 cents per cubic foot,
which brings the total cost to APP
proximately $4,000, 900
The entire period of construction
VIII consume at least three years and
possibly four.
ut is estimated that only tho pile
foundations. and possibly the concrete
footings on top of the piles. can he
constructed during the first year, at
an estimated cost of $500 goo"
Will Have Six Stories.
The tentative plans for the build.
ing worked up by the Department of
Commerce to meet It's needs show a
siX-story building. while Mr.. Wet
more testimony mentions a three
story building. From the b street
frontage II will probably he six stories.
while on the inner, or Mall frontage,
II will have Il three story appearance,
conforming with the Commission of
Fine Arts requirements that ii shall
be harmonious with the National Mu-
scum and especially with the Depart
ment OF Agriculture Administration
Building. which will be on the crest
Of the elevation which slopes away to
the II street frontage. The upper
story will be set back as the upper
story of the Treasury and the House
!
from the street. In this way the ad.
ditional office space can he provided
without marring the architectural eff
feet.
|, Washington people are much inter
ested and somewhat concerned about
what will become of the Department
of Agriculture greenhouses which
now occupy the site which the new
Commerce Building is to take over.
In these greenhouses are held annu-
ally the amaryllis and chrysa nthe-
mum shows, which have become i'm
portant seasonal events
The public is assured that there Is
no thought of wiping these green
houses off the map. AS soon as de-
tails can he worked out suitable
new location for these greenhouses
will he designated They will prob
ably he placed south of the Depart
ment OF Agriculture group of build
ings. Some such relocation of the
greenhouses has long been contem-
plated. When this change is made
there will he provision made for a
large modern conservatory in which
the department can make exhibitions
on a much larger scale than hereto.
fore.
Space for Cars Provided.
Especially because it is a service
depa rtment, with constant contact
with a very large number of persons
who are coming daily to the depart
ment headquarters, particular care
has been taken to provide parking
facilities. In the vast interior of the
new building an innovation in Gov
eminent Office structures will be
made, providing free parking space
for all employees OF the department,
thus leaving the adjacent curb space
for those doing business with the de-
paltment.
The entire first floor Of the inner
court of the new building will be
given over to parking space for auto
mobiles owned by employees of the de-
partment. Space will be provided for
about 500 cars, and this space may be
eXpa nded by construction of a ramp
and driveway to double this automo-
bile capacity.
Commerce Department officials, with
the present congested traffic situation
in mind and foreseeing the time when
vehicular traffic will I've much more
dense than at present, plan to pro
vide ample parking space in the
building to enable employees to keep
their cars off the streets SURROUNDING
the structure.
Work on the building will begin
shortly, under the 5000, 900 deficiency
item provided for the founda ton work
and engineering and architectural