Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-02-07
FEDERAL BUILDING
ARCHITECTS PICKED
Progress Assured by SeIec-
ton of York & Sawyer
for Commerce Structure.

IF the architectural nfm ol l'lN ="
l;avyer of New York City 30 prepare
preliminary ulans and sketches Tor
he Department OF Commerce Buiid-
iog. Fifteenth and II streets. the
argest new structure to be reared III
his city by the Government
The gigantic building. which Con
.~ress has already authorized, TO cost
$4,000 600. will be longer than the
Nanitol itself, and, according to pres
ent plans under consideration ny the
Department OF Commerce ana the
Urea sury. would include also the
Patent Office, now housed between
seventh and Ninth, r and streets
The York & Sawyer firm already
las started on preliminary study OF
he huge project. it was learned ana
will cooperate with the Government
Departments concerned in preparing
heir studies.
Firm One Of Largest.
The Government has had extensive
experience with the firm chosen for
he Commerce Building, as YORK x
SAWYER has been the successful bid
ders in several Federal contracts.
Among the jobs which the firm mas
lone for Uncle Sam are remodellng
the Treasury Department Building
Itself. several years ago; the new
Federal Reserve Bank, New York
city; the Orange, n. j., post once
md the unique Federal structure IN
Honolulu, Hawaii. The firm is CON
sidered one of the largest ARCHITECTURAL
firms of the country.
Already the Treasury has available
N appropriated funds, total OF $780,
900. to expend on the Department or
Commerce Building. during this nscal
ear. and the structure is sure 10 De
ane Of those included in the recon-
.nendations to Congress for appropria-
ions during the next fiscal year. Inc
deficiency bill, including the names OF
projects TO be forwarded at once IN
Washington, and the amounts recon-
Yoended to be spent on them during
the next year. will shortly be forward
ed to Congress.
Although some other structures OH
she program in Washington have oeen
7ocafed on sites parts of which are
not owned by the Government, ana,
therefore, must be acquired through
condemnation proceedings, delaylng
progress, the Department OF Com
Ynerce has been placed on ground TO al
If which the Government holds ute
already. This is expected to be a
factor favoring early progress.
New Revenue Bureau Home.
There is now located on the Com
Ynerce site, however, temporary
building housing several hundred EN-"
ployes of the Internal Revenue Bu"
reau. This bureau is to have new
home facing B street, behind the Post
ONCE Department.
Half OF the Internal Revenue Blu
reau building is to be put up as the
next actual building project in Wash
ington, and it is the plan to complete
this building, then move clerks and
files out of the temporary building on
the Commerce site, so as to make way
for Commerce. How long these vari.
Gus operations will take has not yet
been determined, but the general plan
has been laid down.
Details of the great Department OF
Commerce Building are yet to be
worked out. That is one of the
principal tasks facing the archi-
tectural firm selected. But already
the site has been selected by the
Public Buildings Commission, and
the general form of the structure has
been agreed to by the Department of
Commerce and the Treasury.
The building will be located be-
tween Fourteenth and Fifteenth
streets, facing the latter, and will
extend from B street on the Mall
northward to a point between what
would be D street and Pennsylvania
avenue. On the corner of Pennsyl-
vania avenue and Fifteenth street
lust north of Commerce, will be the
new home of the Department OF
Justice.
Longer Than Capitol.
The Department of Commerce
Building will be about $50 feet long,
which is much greater than the length
Of the Capitol 1t will be about seven
stories high. Although situated on
sloping Fifteenth street, it will be
higher on its south end than on it's
north. 1t will be faced on the ex-
terror by stone.
several problems of difficulty face
the architects and the Government,
among them what kind of facilities to
provide for parking automobiles. 1t
has been suggested that a storage
space be provided within the Com
rnerce Building itself. Nearby, toward
by the Treasury Department allow
for extensive parking space in kind
OF plaza.
It is also likely that some kind
Of traffic tunnels under the building
viii be favorably considered.
With passage of, the legislation au-
thorizing purchase of the triangle, the
Treasury Department has authority
to go ahead with condemnation pro-
ceedings as fast as it needs the land
for building purposes. The Depart
- t.. xaIr AA 70
court.
1t was understood today, however,
that the Treasury does not plan i'm
mediate" condemnation of all the tri-
angle, nor any other parts than it now
has under condemnation for building
purposes.
Big Problems Ahead.
The problem of what parts. Of the
triangle to condemn next, how to
proceed, and how fast to proceed
with purchase of the entire plot is
being worked out by officials, who
have on their hands the gigantic task
Of carrying forward the big Federal
building program not only in Wash
iugton, but throughout the country
Already several squares Of land are
under condemnation proceedings
Square $50. located in the northeast
corner of the site for the Internal
Revenue Bureau Building, Tenth and
6 streets, is first in priority in the
list Of condemn atoms. The square
Immediately west of the Post Office
Department, bounded by Twelfth and
Thirteenth, Pennsylvania avenue and
g street, the site for the Archives
Building, is now all owned privately,
and is being condemned.
Other plots soon to be in the courts
include a square opposite the Depart
ment of Agriculture Building. on the
south side of b street southwest.
NEEE Ic N0MINATEn