Evening star., 1928-12-29
BY DON S. WARREN.

n HANY remarkable and lasting
M changes were wrought in the
physical development Of the
National Capital during the
past year, through increased
activity in private building operations
which had total cost estimated rough
" 27 per cent greater in volume than
was recorded in 1927. New Office struc-
lures and hotels altered the skyline OF
downtown Washington, which is des-
tined to be further changed with COM
pletion of other imposing structures
now under way, while residential sec
tions also saw notable new develop
ments in erection of apartments and
dwellings.
The wear witnessed considerable de-
cline in the construction Of dwellings
and a great increase IN apartment
house projects. There was unusual
activity also in the purchase ana con-
struction of new embassy and legation
huiIdines planning of new churches
and private school buildings, construc-
ton of business structures OF moderate
size. and there was recorded great
volume of remodeling operations.
An unofficial study of records IN the
office of the building inspector, Col
John w. Oehmann, shows that private
building projects in the District Tor
which permits were issued during 1928
had an estimated total cost OF $49, 99A,
355. the amount for the last week OF
December being conServatively esIl-
mated This was an increase OF ap-
proximately S13,672,905 over the total
of $36,321, ,450 recorded In 1927, or
about 81 per cent greater.
These figures do not include reports
of construction operations in Washlng.
ton suburban areas IN Maryland ana
Virginia, where more and more OF the
residential sections, really part of
the District development, are spread
ing due to congestion of the limited
area of the District. Neither does the
total include any of the tremendous
Federal building projects, which, II
added, would run the District construc-
ton volume into an amazing figure.
Well Below Record.
Taken alone. however. the District
construction volume is not regarded by
observers as abnormal for the most
part. and is, indeed. we'll below the
record breaking years of 1925 and 1926
when boom" conditions were expert
enced here as building activity, retarded
by wartime and early postwar depres-
sion, was tremendously expanded ana
threatened seriously over-bullt con-
dition. In response to warnings by
bankers and bond houses, as well as
warning signals noted in the market
itself, operations in the District were
drastically curtailed during 1927, when
the total was cut about AZ per cent
from the 1926 total to. allow demand to
catch UP with production.
AS result of caution exercised In
1927 and continued in part through the
past year, conditions in the real estate
market here in 1928 were regarded as
better and more stable than in the
preceding years, although the market
still was termed "selective." Despite
the buyers market" still generally pre-
vailing, Washington Jared better than
many cities where market conditions
were more depressed due to the amount
of houses and apartments and Office
space on the market in excess Of de-
mand. Washington weathered the ef-
fects of the 1925-26 building expansion,
1t is held by many observers, with less
worry than did many comparable cities.
The relative position of private build
ing operations here during the past
year is illustrated in the following tabu-
lation Of the valuation of the building
totals for recent years: