Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-07-18
PLAN PURCHASES
FOR CIVIC CENTER
Body Named to Acquire Site
Expected to Secure First
Land Within Week.

With tentative offers from several
property owners in the four square area
selected as the site for the municipal
center the committee appointed by the
District Commissioners to acquire the
land indicated today that 1t expected
to make the first purchase WITHIN the
next week.
THE committee. composed of Maj. l..
r Atkins. Assistant Engineer Commits
sioner: William w Bride, corporation
counsel and william p. Richards, tax
assessor. plans to make a personal IN
Spection tomorrow OF the property
offered primarily to ascertain the e%-
tent of the Improvements winch Cle
owners claim have been made IN recent
months and who have, therefore, asked
a price in excess OF the assessed Value.
Whenever possible. the committee m
tends to restrict the purchase price TO
the value as recorded on the assessment
books in the Office of Mr.. Richards.
Confer With Agents.
AGENTS of three of the owners who
have offered to sell conferred with the
committee at a meeting yesterday after
noon in the office of Corporation Coun-
sci Bride, but negotiations, 1t was said,
probably will not be closed until next
week when the committee again meets.
Even then, 1t will be necessary for the
Commissioners to rattfy any purchase
made by the committee before the deal
is ultimately Corsummated.
Property in square 400, bounded by
Sixth street on the west, John Marshall
place on the east, c street on the south
and Louisiana avenue on the north,
the committee is particularly anxious
to acquire as soon as possible, SlncL
this is the area in which it is planned
to erect the first unit of the municipal
center-a 100000 courts building,
which will house the police, juvenile
and municipal courts and the office Of
the recorder of deeds. The Districts
financial budget for the 1881 fiscal year,
transmitted Monday to the Bureau Of
the Budget, contains an item OF SIS 900
for beginning construction of this
building. The committee hopes to have
the titles for the entire square within
the hands of the Commissioners long
before the appropriation becomes avail
able.
Asked to Submit Offers.
Mai Atkins said he would write
within the next few days to all property
owners in square 400, inviting them to
submit offers. The list of the owners
IN this square is now being compiled
by Tax Assessor Richards.
Inc committee, however, MAI. AtRlnS
said, will consider offers from property
holders in the three other squares,
although it does not propose to solicit
them by mail at this time as will be
done in the case of the square where
the courts building is to be erected.
All purchases will be made out of
the 100000 appropriated at the Spe-
cial session of Congress to acquire por-
ton of the municipal center site. An
additional 100000 will be sought by
the Commissioners at the regular ses-
sion, which conveneS In December to
complete the purchase Of the four
squares.
The comittee's program of proce-
dure provides for purchase of the lots
whenever possible at a reasonable"
price. 1t will resort to condemnation
only in cases where property owners
hold out for a price which it considers
excessive.