Evening star., 1927-04-17


site for the Archives Building. There
| IS much opposition. however, to plac.
inc a museum or storage structure
| type OF building on this important ave-
! nue. corner. which the Capital builders
| believe should be used for a moTlu.
mental department building.
Some land west Of the Government
| Printing Office has been bought, and
condemnation proceedings have been
started on adjacent property for erec.
tion OF an addition to the big printery.
South Of the Department of Agricul.
| ture grounds in the Mall there are
/ three squares between Twelfth and
Fourteenth streets which are to be ac.
| quired for Il gigantic extensibie office
| building for the department. The mid.
die square, now occupied by the de.
partmcnt. is first to be purchased, and
condemnation proceedings have been
started.
| The legislation authorizing tho ac-
! 1uisition OF all privately owned land
| in the triangle south OF Pennsylvania
! avenue. to The Mali as sites for new
| Federal buildings failed behind the
| Senate fihbustcr. This measure passed
| the Senate In the House 1t was
amended SO as TO carry an additional
| hundred million dollars for new post
| otice buildings all over the country,
and carried by a big majority When
it went to the Senate for concurrent
action on the $100,000,0U0 amendment
ii was caught in the blockade. This
is eXpeced TO be pushed through
promptly upon the reassembling Of
Congress.
In the meantime q special adviser
on landscape architecture Is coop
Grating with the Treasury Depart.
| ment, the Commission of Fine Arts,
the Public Buildings Commission and
the National Capital Park and Plan.
ming Commission for the best ar
rangement of the new buildings in
this Mall triangle.
Southern Building Status.
In the plan for acquiring the Mall
triangle, the Southern Building at
Thirteenth and Pennsylvania avenue,
Just east of the District tMunicipal)
Buildings, was specifically omitted. 1t
was explained that this was to allow
the District government to acquire
that site for extension of the munici.
pal building. 1t had previously been
the plan Of the District officials to eX.
pand toward the south. Negotiations
have been in progress with the South.
ern Railway officials, but it now seems
unlikely that this building will be
taken over for District building an.
mex.
In clearing away existing buildings
in the Avenue Mall triangle to make
way for new Federal buildings. some
eight important District activities will
be driven out of their present quar-
ters-such as the House OF Detention,
the District employment agency, the
Mao xSAkfNiaJfNh1
house, etc All of this has focused
attention on the fact that Washington
should have new municipal group
of buildings so that the enlarging
work can be properly co-ordtnated,
and with proper laboratory and other
construction suitable to the work TO
be done.
The need for a new municipal group
was emphasized at hearings before
the Gibson subcommittee of the House
District committee which was tnvesti-
eating the municipal administration.
Engineer Commissioner Bell laid the
matter before the Public Buildings
Commission shortly before the close
of Congress, with the recommendation
that the new group of buildings be
located between Judiciary square and
Pennsylvania avenue, between Third
and Sixth streets northwest. The COM
mission was enthusiastic for such a
plan and directed the District officials
to make a careful survey and have
report with recommendations ready
for Congress when it meets in Decen-
ber.' This survey and study is now
being made by an interdepartmental
committee Of the District government.
Plan Welfare Building.
Smoot, chairman Of the Public Build
fWinkla. chief of the Woman's Bureau,
and other officials concerned in public
welfare activities have been planning
for the acquisition of hotel near the
Capitol to be used as Public Welfare
Building Congress has already au-
thorized a new Police Court Building
and a new Recorder OF Deeds Build.
ing. Efforts have been made to get
Congress and the District officials to
include a new Municipal Court Build
ing and Juvenile Court Building in the
program. The needs of all of these
agencies will be carefully canvassed
and considered in drafting plans for
the new municipal group, with view
to proper coordination Of all District
activities and to give these minor
the District Supreme Court group.
The appropriation of $3.50, 900 for
a new nurses home at Columbia Hos
pital 1925 900 TO replace the Bell
School to make way for the Botanic
Garden, $4,000 for new electric ele-
vator at Columbia Hospital, $185,00O
for a new nurses home and $4,000 for
a power plant at F'reedmen's Hospital,
Sl8,0 900 for enIarging the brick plant
at Occoquan, and So. 800 for special
repairs to the Court House are among
other items that will be included in
the local building program An
appropriation of $4,000 TO equip the
new $275, 900 wing at the District Jail
is also sought.
Under an appropriation of $1,331,~
a5S all OF the land between the
Capitol and the Union Station, on
which the Government has held a
dead hand" for nearly 20 years, has
been purchased for a park expansion
OF the Capitol Grounds. except about
$50. 900 worth, which is tied up in
the courts.
Others Being Removed.
Under another appropriation of
$40, 900 all buildings on this land not
occupied by Government activities
are being removed. One of the
greatest landscape artists in the
world is preparing plans and esti-
mates to be submitted TO Congress
for permanent park development Of
this area. This involves the new
avenue. to be approximately the
width of Pennsylvania avenue, ex-
tending from the Union Station TO
the Peace Monument. This avenue
is authorized in the original legisla-
ton for extension of the Capitol
Grounds. But an alternative plan
viii be reported to Congress for
swinging this avenue off from New
Jersey avenue so as TO cut into
Pennsylvania avenue at Third street.
the corner on which it ia proposed