Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-07-11
COST Of AIRPORT
At GRAVELLY SITE
FIXED AT $765,0)D
CoveII Submits Estimates
Within District Budget
on 5-Year Plan.
FEDERAL CONTRIBUTIONS
WOULD REDUCE FIGURES
Three Projects for Construction #
Glass A Field Given to
Joint Subcommittee.

Estimates prepared by Government;
engineers, showing the cost Of estab-
fishing a class A airport at Gravelly
Point to be well within the require
ments of the District budget, in the
opinion of Maj. w. L. r. Covell, AS
sistant District Engineer Commits
sioner. were submitted today to the
joint subcommittee of the three local
trade bodies.
Given five years for completion, the
project. according to the estimates,
would cost about $153,000 annually
without Federal contribution. The ap-
proximate cost of reclaiming the land
and equipping the field is estimated
at $765. 900. The cost Of construction
of field the same size in two years
would be $685. 900. which Maj. Covell
believes exceeds the limit the District
can afford to pay even with Federal
contributions.
Provided the Government meets
half the expense. as Maj. Covell be-
lieves it should do, it would be possi-
BILE to construct an eight-way aviation
field. including all equipment, at an
annual cost Of approximately $4,000
to the District taxpayers over five-
year period. Without Federal con-
tributions, Mai. Covell explained, the
total cost would be S153,0O0.
Would Meet Requirements.
Mai Covell explained that the engi-
neers' estimates were trough esti-
mates," but sufficient to give an APP
proximate cost of constructing and
equipping at Gravelly Point an airport
large enough to meet the require
ments of both the Federal and Dis
trict Governments. Additional esti-
mates, including a survey Of the
point, he believed. would make no ma
terial change in the figures already in
hand.
AS prepared by the engineers. their
estimates do not include the cost of
buildings, drainage or road construc-
ton, which Maj. Covell estimates
roughly at $175, 900. This amount he
included in the foregoing estimates
for the work at Graveliy Point.
In the opinion of the Engineer Com
missioner the best set of estimates
would hardly entail a cost to the Dis
trict of more than S160.000, even il
the Federal Government refused to
share at all in the expense. 1t is rea-
sonably certain, however, that the
Federal Government would pay its
proportionate share of the expense.
since it's interests in an airport are
larger than those of the District.
Three Sets of Estimates.
According to the engineers esti-
mates, an aviation field 5000 feet by
5000 feet would cost $590,000, the
work being extended over a period of
five years. Add to this the SITS, 900 es-
timated cost for equipping the field
the total would run to approximately
$765.000, or about $153, 200 annually.
Estimates to provide a field $500
feet by 5000 feet, exclusive of equip
ment. call for an expenditure of $780,
900 over a period of two years and
S475,000 over a period of five years.
The third set of estimates call for
an expenditure of $1,53O,0OO to con.
struct field 1900 feet by 5000 feet
over a period of five years and $780,
600 for the same sized field at the end
of 10 years.
Opposes Buying Acreage.
1t is readily seen, Maj. Covell ex-
planned. that the longer tie period
tue SHldller lHe ultimate cost 10 InS
District taxpayers.
Any of the fields for which esti-
mates have been made, it was said,
would provide ample facilities for
eight runways, meeting. all require
mentS for a class A airport. Maj.
Covell estimates that hangers and
other necessary buildings at the field
would cost approximately $4,000,
with an additional $1,000 to surface
the field, provide drainage and con-
struct a roadway.
ANY of these estimates" Maj.
Covell said today. "would place a far
less burden on the District than the
purchase of acreage, when one con-
siders the lump sum that would have
to be paid outright
Ask Funds for Survey.
After a two-hour discussion Of all
phases of the airport situation with
Maj. Covell the joint subcommittee
went on record as recommending that
a $4,000 appropriation be included in
the District budget for an engineers
survey of the Gravelly Point site and
the preparation of plans for the de-
velopment of this site as soon as
with true economy.
The subcommittee further recon-
mended that as soon as the report of
the survey is completed. the Board
Continued on Page 2, Column 81