Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-06-21
Defining the Building Program.

A specific program of immediate
procedure is announced by the Public
Building Commission. The first unit
of the great group of Government
structures to be started is the main
section of the Agriculture Building
the two wings of which, built several
years ago, are to be connected by
means of this erection. No site is to
be acquired for this purpose, as the
building sta nds in the Mall Simulta.
neously. work will be started on the
Commerce Building. which will occupy
the area known as the five squares
site" on the western flank of the Mall
Avenue triangle. Title to that land
was acquired by the Government a
long time ago and it has awaited use
since then. The third unit of the
first group will be tho Internal Rev
enue Building, the site for which, be-
tween Tenth and Twelfth streets, is
partially acquired and cleared, the re.
mainder being yet to be secured
through condemnation or direct pur.
chase.
With these three structures under
way. the great building program will
have been definitely started. Actual
construction work will probably not
begin for some time, as contracts are
still to be awarded. But it is fairly
we'll assured that before the Autumn
there will be tangible evidence, beyond
the mere clearing away of old build
ings. that this important series of
constructions Is under way.
Meanwhile, there remains to be en-.
acted legislation for the acquisition of
those portions Of the triangle that
have not already become Government
property. Had it not been for the
deadlock in the Senate at the close
OF the Sixty-ninth Congress, that leg
tslation would have been already Sc
cured. AS it is, the passage of the
bill may be expected in the early
weeks Of the next session, so that
perhaps with the beginning of the
calendar year 1928 there will be au.
thorization and perhaps appropriation
Tor the purchase of these remaining
sections Of the triangle. permitting an
early start on the planning Of the
second group Of structures, including
the Archives Building and the home
for the Department of Justice. The
Department Of Labor might likewise
be included in that group. In that
case there will, by year from now.
be at least six Of the units under way
In either actual construction or in the
first stages of designing and site clear
ance.
There remains the consideration of
the new District municipal center
which has been proposed for estab.
lishment on the north side of Penn.
sylvania avenue between Third and
Sixth streets. In the recently an.
nounced general layout Of the Mall.
Avenue triangle no disposition was
made Of the space to the east of the
District Building, and the suggestion
was advanced that possibly this would
be available for the additional munich.
pal facilities now required. 1t is evi.
dent, however. that the District will
need more area for it's miscellaneous
activities than such a site will yield.
1t may be that the extension of the
District Building will be required for
administrative purposes alone, with a
supplementary municipal center on
the north-Avenue site, which has been
tentatively proposed. A study of this
question should be made early, so that
the needs of the District may be con.
sidered for provision in at least a
third undertaking of the Public Build.
ing Commission.