Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-04-25
Chairman of D. c. Commits
sioners Endorses Proposal to
Expedite Development.
PROJECT IS OUTLINED
TO SECRETARY MELLON
Construction of Administrative
Building Is Urged to Replace
District Structure.

The plan Of Chairman Simmons of
the House subcommittee on appropria-
lions to expedite development of the
municipal center in the four-suuare
triangular area north of Pennsylvania
avenue between Third and Sixth streets
was Endorsed today by Proctor L.
Dougherty, chairman Of the Board Of
District Commissioners
Representative Simmons outlined the
plan at a conference yesterday with
Secretary of Treasury Mellon, who. as
ernment's gigantic public building pro-
gram, has taken deep interest in the
municipal project.
The cardinal feature of Mr.. Sim
mons scheme which most pleases Com
missioner Dougherty is the one for
starting construction on the admins
trative building to replace the present
District Building.
Mr.. Simmons urged that by some
method the present value Of the Dis
trict Building be determined and this
amount placed to the credit of the Dis
trict in the Federal Treasury to be used
in beginning work on the administra-
tive building.
Estimated Value Is S5,500,000.
Records in the Office of Tax Assessor
william P. Richards show that the
District Building and the land is as
sessed at $4,700,000, but that recent
estimate places the value at s5.50000
The building and land cost approx
mately s2.550,o0O.
The land was purchased In 1907 for
$550,000, and the latest estimate OF
value, made by>Mr. Richards in the
1928 fiscal year, was placed at 81, 900 900.
The building, erected during period of
low prices, cost nearly $2000,0 900, and
the tax assessors estimate shows 1t to be
worth s3700,000.
Commissioner Dougherty pointed out
that the plan of Mr. Simmons to ad-
vance the present value of the District
Building to the municipal government
would greatly facilitate development of
the center Under the original plan,
he said, the administrative building
would be the third unit in the area. but
its construction probably could be start
ed simultaneously with the courts build
ing, the first unit, if arrangements can
be made to carry out Mr.. Simmons
suggestion.
Good Start Is Assured.
The Administration Building, It Is
estimated, will cost approximately Slo,-
600, 900. Considerable progress could
be made on the building, it was said.
with the S5,000,000 or more that would
likely be deposited to the credit in the
Treasury for financing this structure.
BY the time that money was expended.
it is believed, Congress would have ap-
propriated sufficient funds to complete
the building.
Just how Mr.. Simmons plan can be
carried out is one of the problems
Secretary Mellon is giving serious con-
Sideration, according to word from the
Treasury. The Secretary, it was an
nounced, is having an investigation
made of the possibilities of the proposal.
Mr.. Mellon believes it probably will
be some time before the final results OF
his inquiry into the various questions
involved are determined. He is in
clined to think, however, that legisla-
ton may be necessary to carry out the
plan.
1T would be very generous OF the
Federal Government to take over the
District Building and deposit the money
from such a transfer in the Treasury
for use in beginning construction OF
the administrative building in the
municipal center" said Commissioner
Dougherty.
"a slight change in the original plans
probably would be necessary, but the
development of the center would be ex-
pedited."