Evening star., 1927-04-27
The New Municipal Center.

Preparation Of plans for the pro-
posed new municipal center to be To-
Gated in the area between Pennsyl-
vania avenue and Judiciary Square,
and Third and Sixth streets, is a prac-
teal step toward consummation of a
project that has grown out of the Fed
eral building program in Washington.
The District Building has long been
outgrown. Numerous municipal ac-
tivities have Of necessity been housed
ministration of local affairs demanded
either the enlargement of the Dis
trict's official home or provision of
an additional building Immediately
adjacent. Complications have arisen.
The enlargement of the District Build
ing being architecturally inadvisable,
an annex on an adjacent site was the
only alternative, but that has been
rendered difficult If not impossible
by the ALLEGATION of space in the Mall
Avenue triangle for Federal struc-
lures.
In these circumstances change of
location for the entire District estab.
lishment is desirable. In any case,
it will soon be necessary to vacate
buildings now used by the District
and standing in areas that will be
cleared for Federal constructions. To
avoid further scattering, to effect a
concentration of municipal offices
within a conveniently situated site,
it is proposed to transfer the entire
administration to single building or
a group of buildings on the north side
of Pennsylvania avenue between Third
and Sixth streets.
At present only preliminary studies
can be made. No appropriations are
available for actual operations, though
it is to be expected that if specific
project is evolved in season Congress
will at the next session authorize the
acquisition Of the site and the ulti-
mate appropriation of funds for the
construction.
In the execution of this plan it is
highly desirable that it be treated as
a whole and that the entire site re-
quired for the group of buildings
should be secured at once. The same
policy with regard to the municipal
center should be pursued as that
which has been in effect adopted as
to the Federal building program in
the Mall-Avenue triangle. Legislation
to acquire all the land in that trian-
gle remaining in private ownership
will undoubtedly be had at the next
session, in completion of the work in
terrupted by the blockade which
marked the close of the Sixty ninth
Congress. Inasmuch as new bill
must be drafted and adopted, it would
be well that it include provision for
the municipal center site SO that the
work of acquiring these lands on both
sides of Pennsylvania avenue within
the prescribed boundaries may pro-
ceed simultaneously.
Location of the municipal center on
the area tentatively selected will be a
long step toward the redemption of
Pennsylvania avenue from its present
deplorable condition. With the cut
ting Of the projected boulevard from
the Union Station to the Mall the area
east of Third street will be absorbed.
The municipal center will occupy the
space from Third to Sixth streets. The
remainder Of the north side Of Penn
sylvania avenue from Sixth to Fif-
teenth streets will develop naturally
and inevitably in keeping with the
important and attractive public struc-
lures that within few years will rise
on the long neglected south frontage.