Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-08-31
Attempts to Buy Land for
Archives and Revenue
Structures Delayed.
WORK ON FOUNDATIONS
MAY BEGIN IN AUTUMN
Agents to Visit Other Cities Soon
to Purchase Property for
Other Edifces.

The Federal building program for
Washington moved steadily ahead to.
DAY when the Government took steps
TO condemn land needed, not only for
the Internal Revenue Bureau Build
ing. but also for the Archives building
This step followed attempts which
so far have proved futile to purchase
the property in question at a price
considered fair to the Government
The Department of Justice will
proceed first with condemnation of
the Internal Revenue Bureau site. it
is understood. and will follow closely
along with the suit for the Archives
Building.
Both the Department of Justice and
Treasury Department are co-operat-
ing in the plan, but the legal phases
of the question and prosecution Of the
suits in the District Supreme Court
will be handled by the Department O.
Justice.
Streets to Be Closed.
The two new buildings. which viii
be the first of the several to be erect
ed here under the great Federal
building program. are situated be
tween the Post Office Department and
the Mall, and are located i'm the adj.
joining sites bounded by Il and G.
streets, extending from Tenth to
Thirteenth street. The intersectinC
sereets of Ohio avenue, Little r street
and Eleventh street for one block
are to be obliterated
Taking one of the definite steps
necessary the Department of Justice
has called upon the District Title In
surance Co. for abstracts of title of
all property located in the three
squares in this section. which are
not owned by the Government
One of these squares is No. $50. on
the northeast corner of the Internal
Revenue Bureau site. This constitutes
about one-third of the site needed for
the bureau building. the Government
owning the remainder of the plot
bounded by b and G streets, Tenth
and Twelfth streets, where the struc-
ture will be erected
Two Squares Sought.
The Government owns none of the
land on which the Archives Building
is to be erected, adjacent to the new
bureau building, and has therefore
asked for abstracts of title for all Of
squares Nos. 294 and 295. which are
Twelfth and Thirteenth They are.
divided by Ohio avenue. which VIII
be closed.
Condemnation proceedings will be
pushed ahead as rapidly as the com
pliCated process of law will permit
according to officials in charge, and
it is hoped that the Government may
acquire title to this needed ground
this Autumn. BY that time, it is un
derstCod. the plans in the office of
the supervising architect at the
Treasury Will he so far along that
shortly thereafter work may be
started on the foundations. If Wash
ington has an open Winter, permit
ting building, construction could then
proceed without interruption.
The process of condemning land,
however, is recognized to he liable to
considerable delay and no definite
promises are made by officials in
charge as to when advertisements for
the first bids will go out.
Site Agents Added.
Meantime the Treasury is proceed
ing with it's building program from
all angles and will be able to carry
on with much more speed now with
the addition of the site agents, w. f.
Field and w. NJ. GeddeS, the latter
taking office yesterday.
Negotiations will be opened by the
site agents with owners of prAperty
in other cities as soon as the Wash
ington situation permits, according
to officials. and the building program
viii be carried forward with as much
speed as is consonant with good judg-
ment.
Bids will be opened on II sites
within the next few weeks for Federal
buildings in various cities Nine will
be opened on September T. one on Sep
TENDER 10 and another on Septem.
Der IA.