Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1929-02-15
Conrt Hoase Project.

J All hope Of acquiring the entire blocl
Immediately to the west of the court house
J square as a site for the proposed new
Rockville court house lie believed to have
been lost when directors of the Farmers
Banking and Trust Company at a meeting
decided that their new $4,000 bank
building, for construction of which the
contract was recently awarded, must be
erected on the banking company's lot at
the northeast corner of the block In Ques-
ton.
The directors are understood to have
agreed with virtual unanimity that they
are unwilling to relinQuish the site for q
court house or any other purpose and to
have let Tighman Meyer. head Of the
Tishman Meyer Construction Co.. Of Penn
sylvania. understand that his company Is
at liberty to proceed with building opera
tons as soon as convenient.
The bank officials have made arrange
ments to use as headquarters pending
building operations frame building on
Montgomery Avenue opposite the bank
site. and the Meyer company. 1t is under
stood. will begin the necessary alterations
at once.
The new bank building will be IS feet
further west and Ia feet further south than
the present structure. which. it is said. will
permit widening Of Montgomery Avenue
between Court and Washington streets and
also Court street should 1t DO decided TO
push the latter somewhat to the west to
enlarge the site Of the present court house.
which. 1t now seems certain. will have to
be used for the proposed new temple of
justice.
Dr. Eugene Jones. who represents the
county in the State Senate and who Is a
director OF the Farmers Banking and Trust
Company, attended the meeting Of the
directors. He reiterated his opposition to
the proposition to purchase more than a
narrow strip Of the block. to the west OF
the court house square and made 1t plain
that his mind is definitely made up on
that point. He indicated. however. that
he would favor an additional bond issue
Of $4,000 or $4,000 for purchase OF
the strip, which he insisted wosld enlarge
the site Of the present structure sufficiently
to make II ample for any court house
building il might be decided to erect,
So far as his attitude regarding a bond
issue Of $l50.000 to augment $4,000
already available for the court house build
ing. DR.. Jones gave no indication that he
had relented in his opposition further than
to announce that he would arrange con-
ference to be participated in by az archi-
tect and builder. whom he would personally
remunerate the court house architects.
Robert G. Hilton Of the court house building
committee and himself in an effort to de-
termine whether the estimated cost. 3451.-
900, of the proposed court house building
10 not considerably more than he had been
informed by a local builder would be nee
essary. The conference. DR.. Jones stated.
will be held within the next 10 days at a
place yet to be decided upon.
Whether in the event IL is decided at
the conference that the $3.50. 900 estimate
is somewhere near correct he would give
in and permit passage by the State Senate
| Of bill authorizing the proposed addi-
tional bond issue of $l50.O00. Dr.. Jones
gave no information.