Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-08-15
COLUMBIA ISLAND
SURVEY IS SOUGHT.
Final Report on Proposed
Park Asked as Dredging
Nears Completion.

Moving toward establishment Of an
other great public park along the Po-
tomac River similar. to East Potomac
Park, the National Commission of
Fine Arts has asked the National Cap
ital Park and Planning Commission
to make a survey Of the final devel-
opment Of Columbia Island so that
from made" land dredged out OF the
bed Of the river can be developed an
other great recreation park for Wash
!ngton.
Where now lie marshy and mud
covered areas Of land along the Vir-
ginia shore Of the Potomac River,
stretching almost to the Highway
Bridge, will rise another man-made
island, from the northern end of which
will stretch the magnificent Arling'
ton Memorial Bridge. The central and
southern portions, under present
plans. will be given over to places
of recreation.
The whole scheme Ats IN with the
plan Of the Commission Of Fine Arts
for creation along the Virginia shore
OI tUE UClWCCI tAlC LIS
and Key Bridges, of a waterside park
way, with magnificent roadway con-
Meeting the two bridges and running
through to tie in with the Mount Yer
non Boulevard on the south.
Dredging Nearly Complete.
Dredging work to make Columbian
Island q 200-acre piece of land is
now nearing completion, with most
of the work going on near the south
ern end. From the northern end
the piers of the new memorial bridge
are moving their lengths of masonry
and steel out into the middle of the
river to meet similar construction
from the Potomac Park side of the
river. James L. Greenleaf, landscape
architect member of the fine arts
body, Is now engaged in study OF
treatment Of the bridge head area
between Columbian Island and the
east wall OF Arlington National Gem
etery.
East Potomac Park itself. which
now is zone of the two great parks
in Washington, is made from land
wrested from the bottom of the river
more than two decades ago.
The entire Columbian Island prof.
ecu Is cApcClCu W OC wen biuOA "US
bv 1892. the two hundredth anni-
versary of the birth of George Wash
ington and the year which will find
many notable projects for develop
ment of the National Capital well
on toward completion.
Other Projects Planned.
In addition to the Columbia Island
project these include the following:
Completion of the Mount Vernon
boulevard, tying Washington up with
Mount Vernon over a magnificent
stretch of roadway skirting the Poto
mac River.
Completion of the Arlington Memo
rial Bridge.
Completion of the Lee Highway
through Arlington County over the
Memorial Bridge.
Completion of at least two OF the
monumental approaches to Washing
ton on the western and northern axis
of the Capital plan.
Partial completion of several OF the
public buildings provided for in the
public building program.
Completion of the plan for finish
ing the approaches to the Washington
Monument, for which field work Is
now going on.
Completion of the Anacostia Park
and partial completion of the National
Arboretum.
All these projects are under way
with the exception of the arboretum
plan, Congress having failed to ap'
propriate the money to purchase the
Mount Hamilton and Hickey Hill areas
to carry out this scheme.
Tentative plans for utilization OF
Columbian Island call for golf courses,
tennis courts, base ball diamonds and
other sporting features of the type
that have made East Potomac Park
one of the most popular spots in
Washington. There is not yet under
consideration plan for a driveway
around the island. similar to the Speed