Evening star., 1927-12-06
CIGAR STORE FIRM
DENIES FINE ARTS
BODY'S AUTHORITY
Continued from First Page)

/ 1OltfDuPu from flfSl IdSeJ
of the Washington Board Of Trade,
the Washington Chapter of the Amer
lean Institute of Architects and the
Operat tive Builders Association, at
which the representatives raised Oh
jections to the type OF structure uh-
der considers ton. The Fine Arts
Commission Immediately sent to an
the members copies OF the plans, WIN
a request for an early answer.
The letter of the fine arts body goes
at length into the reason for some
jurisdiction over private building on
the north side of Pennsylvania ave
nue., declaring that the historic Ave.
nue. belongs to the people and Shouiu
not he "Suffered to sink into bllSnteu
conditions by reason OF the low chai
acter of the buildings that line 1t. 1T
raised the issue of use by the cigar
stores companv of the Fourteenth and
r. street frontages for show window
uurposes. declaring that the SHOW
windows. extending three feet beyond
the building line, will occupy o4V
square feet of United States properly.
This space, it is understood, lhe
commission said, "is occupied under Il
missioners Of the District of Column
bia. as is customary under the build-
ing code in the case of show WINDOWS.
This occupation of public property bE
show windows makes the designing OF
suitable frontage more dlfticult, bht
not impossihle Such show windows
seriously impair the orderly appear
ance of commercial streets.
33 Feet on II Street.
The property under development
has a frontage of 149 feet on Fouf
tcenth street and OF 30 feet on r.
street. with n depth Of 1O6 feet on the
northern end Of the lot, adjoining the
Willard Building.
"'rhe location is one of the most
comma nding of all the sites on the
Avenue" the commission said. 1t
will face an open square of great dlS-
nity and planned to he of much beau
tv. The neishboring buildings, for the
most part, possess dignity of mass ana
material and some Of them claim
architectural merit. The elder ones
must soon give place to st.nctHres
which will yield returns IN n lAig
with the enhancing value or she And
II is n matter of concern that AU new
structures shall he in Keeping vii h
the sense OF uiSility anu VI u~i ''i''''''
soon to be created.
at is quite possible, and it is alto
eether reasonable, that those private
perSonS who are about To build may
do SO with sense OF patriotism ana
a WILLINGNESS to contribute something
ia the good order of civic develop
ment. In the particular case OF lhe
United Cigar stores co. it is feit
that properly designed building
would enhan nee profits rather than I'M.
pair them. There is commercial
and an advertising value in good
looking building: whereas an i'll
designed and uniting building is a
detriment to the business it occupies
Character Of Avenue in Danger.
'In theory. and in the minds OF the
people, PENNSYLVANIA avenue is one
Of the most significant thoroughfares
in this country. 1t ranks high IN Hs
historic interest; it attains marked
significance as the direct way De-
tween the legislative and the execn-
live departments of the Government.
II has been a matter OF national re-
proach that this truly great avenue
has been suffered to sink into blighted
conditions by reason OF the low
character of the private buildings
that line it, That reproach Is about
to disappear as to the south side OF the
Avenue, as the new public building
program already started progresses
to it's destined completion. As to the
north side. it is virtually assured that
the Government will control from the
Capitol to Sixth street, leaving some
seven blocks in private ownership.
Several of these blocks are already
occupied by buildings which have
frontases to which exception cannot
be taken at the present time.
"The appearance Of any new bilid'
ing. however that is To be erected on
the north side of the Avenue becomes
a matter of concern both to those
residents OF Washington who are i'm
bued with pride in the progressive de
velopment OF a city destined to rank
among the most orderly and most
beautiful ever built by man; and also
to the whole people of the United
States, who are gladly spending their
thought and wealth on their National
Capital.
IAN Of these people feel--and have
4 right to feel--that the new building
program. so long awaited. should have
the encouragement and support of all
private property owners, and that no
structure should be erected out OF har-
mony with the proposed development.
Their right to such feeling is based
on the fact that it is the labOrs and
the expenditures OF the Government
which give commercial value to Ave-
nue. frontage"
Ex-cab- drivers associations of
Greece are buying many taxicabs.