Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-09-26
IN BLOCK
soon TO Be RAZED
- 80 +
Structure at Ninth
8 and c Will Yield Space
]. to Government.

THE next block of buildings to be
torn down in pushing the Governments
Building program. in all probability,
will be shat bounded by Ninth and
Tenth, >: streets and Louisiana avenue
Fhis By Sex includes one Of the Oldest
$heater buildings in the city, historically
Famous In the Capitals early days, and
most recently known as the Bijou. The
area is part of the site for the new Ar
chives building.
: The Treasury Department plans to
rae the old buildings soon after title
ID acquired TO all lane in the irregular
area. Two parcels of the property al
ready have been acquired by the Govern
nnent through purchase-the old theater
Building at the east end and piece
of property on the southwest corner OF
the block. All the rest of the block is
under condemnation proceedings In the
court, and according to present pros
poets may 60 to the Government before
long.
To Be Parking Space.
As soon as the old buildings are torn
down and the place leveled OF, 1t Will
be rented to a company for the purpose
~ selling parking space. This pro-
cedure was used by the Treasury In
other places, In the Federal Building
triangle, notably the sites Of the In
ternal Revenue Building and the De-
partment of Commerce structure, which
are both now we'll under way. The
parking proposition, as explained by
Chief Clerk F. A. Birgfeld of the Treas
ury Department, in charge OF the old
de n
struction starts, provides both an in
come to the Government from the
ground, and will provide large park
ing space which will help to relieve
temporarily the parking congestion IN
the downtown area. Although this
parking policy Of the Government met
with some protests from certain circles
which contended the Government
should not use 1t for gain. the Treasury
believes its policy is sound and will
continue with 1t.
Meantime plans for the great Archives
Building, which Congress already has
authorized, to cost Sc 900, 900, are pro-
crossing. Louis A. Simon, head OF the
architectural division Of the supervis-
ing architects ONCE, is in Europe study
ing the archives buildings of the old
country, where experience of the past
Is expected to offer many practical Sug-
eestions to the United States. Tenta-
tive plans already have been drawn
in the ONCE of the supervising archi-
tect, and they will be finished when
Mr.. Simon comes back from his Old
World tour with a rich store OF data
from ancient archives.
Funds Are Provided.
The Archives Building is the only
one already authorized and appro-
priated for by Congress in Washing
ton, as a part Of the new Government
building program. which has not yet
been actually started, and 1t Is ex-
pected the Treasury will push 1t for
ward with all speed consistent with
efdcient consideration Of the important
project.
Congress has appropriated 81 ,000, 900,
which is already on hand in the Treas
ury Department. Land Is being ac-
Quired on the site. both by direct pur-
chase and condemnation, and the whole
site will be acquired as soon as posi-
BILE. The whole site is bounded by
Ninth and Tenth, B street and Penn
sylvania avenue. The archives build
ing is to be surrounded by another
structure on three sides of this site, the
surrounding building to be constructed
in the nature Of q shell or screen, and
to be more ornamental than archives.
The use to which the shell building will
be put has not as yet been determined.