Evening star., 1927-09-28
Fine Arts Commission Con-
siderS Plans for Erection of
Structures Here.
| DISTRICT CONSTRUCTION
PROJECTS ARE STUDIED
New Municipal Offices Will 0c-
cupy an Important Phase
of Meeting.
BY a staff Correspondent of The Star.

by Il stan Correspondent OF Inc star.
NEW YORK, September 2S.--The
Federal building program for Wash
ington was ready to take a big for
ward step today as the Commission
of Fine Arts met here with informal
indications that approval probably
would be given to plans for the first
two great structures to be reared on
the so.called Pennsylvania avenue tri-
angle.
Complete sketches for the Depart
ment of Commerce Building and the
Internal Revenue Bureau Building
were before the commission in the
offices of York & Sawyer, architects
for the Commerce structure. and 1t
was understood that individual MEM
bers of the commission were favor
ably disposed toward both.
Actual progress on the Commerce
site will take place tomorrow, 1t was
learned through Treasury Depart
ment sources, when bids will be open.
ed at o'clock in the Office of the su-
architect, for tearing down
the first old buildings on the Commerce
site, to make way for the longest
building in the National Capital.
Municipal Building Project.
These bids were to have been opened
about a week ago, but were delayed.
Contract for this raZing of old build
ings in the area between E street.
and Fifteenth streets and
B street, with the exception Of the
House of Detention and the Treasury
Annex No. 2, will probably be let in
few days, and the wreckers are ex.
pected to start work Immediately
thereafter.
The Fine Arts Commission also
planned to take up today in its general
phases the proposed municipal build
ing project in the four squares south
of Judiciary Square. Formal an
of the commissions ac-
ton today will be forwarded to Secre-
tary of the Treasury Mellon iname-
diately, it was stated by Charles
Moore, chairman of the commission.
prior to the opening session this morn
that the commission would leave it
to Mr.. Mellon to make public the re
suits, and consequently there would
be no formal statement forthcoming.
1t was learned informally from in
dividual members of the commission
that some of them already had viewed
the beautiful plan for the Department
Of Commerce Building and the Internal
Revenue Building, and were most
favorably inclined to give their ap-
proval. The general principles OF the
whole triangle development. 1t was
explained, were to be discussed by
the commission. in reviewing the
sketches made by the Board Of Archi-
tectural consultants Of the Treasury
to carry out the adopted
plan of a unified architectural compo-
sition.
The latest plans for the Depart
nent of Commerce Building, under
stood already to have been approved
BY Secretary Of Commerce Hoover,
nave been drawn, it was learned, not
only to fit in harmoniously with the
composition of the whole
triangle, but also to afford to the em.
oloyes who will work in the million
square feet of floor space of this great
structure a healthful amount of fresh
air and light. The plans in this re-
,pect, it was learned. have been inn
proved over the original ones, which
had been developed when it was at
first intended to place both the De-
partment of Commerce and the De-
partment of Justice along Fifteenth
street and the west end of the Penn
sylvania avenue triangle.
Commerce Building Plans.
Plans for the Department of Com
nerce building were presented for.
nally to the commission by Louis
Ayres of York and Sawyer, who
IS a member of the Treasury board of
consultants and was for
nerly member of the Fine Arts Com
mission. Plans for the Internal Rev
enue Bureau Building to be located
south of the Post Office Department
1a6 also been viewed by some mem.
)ers of the commission at Washington
md were submitted by the supervis-
ng architects Office of the Treasury
,y mail. Louis Simon of the Treas
Try, who had planned to attend, was
detained in Washington by the pres
sure of other developments of the
building program.
In regard to the municipal building
project south of Judiciary Square.
Hartman Moore said, the Fine Arts
was firm in the belief that
his area should be developed along
he same broad lines Of a unified
architectural conception as the tri.
Is, without regard to ex.
sting streets or buildings. The new
District of Columbia Building, Mr..
loore thinks, should dominate the
rea with other structures in sub.
idiary position. It might be neces
airy, he thought. to eliminate John
Iarshall place.
Much attention was devoted to the
proposed municipal center for Wash
ngton at the morning session. it was
hn o6
opinion was generally ex-
'ressed that the whole area should
'e treated as a unit and developed
nto a harmonious whole. The after
Don session promised to be prolonged,
'ut the meeting was not expected to
asst more than one day.