Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-04-28
Pushing the Triangle Project,


buildings In the Mall-Avenue triangle
completed as a unit of administration
and about to be occupied, and another
in an advanced state toward compile
ton, the President asks Congress for
appropriations to permit the starting Of
work on five other structures In the
near future. These five viii house the
Department of Labor, the Interstate
Commerce Commission, the Post once
Department, the Department Of Justice
and the Hall of Archives. There Is no
reason to question the making Of these
appropriations at the present session,
so that the actual construction work
may be under way on all i've buildings
before the Autumn. At the rate of
progress maintained on the two build
ings now nearing completion these five
should be finished by the middle of
1882.
OF especial interest IN this connection
Is the provision which is sought for the
construction Of new home for the
Post ONCE Department. It Is now
housed in a structure that Is regarded
with distaste by all. in point Of archi-
tectural design. Originally this build
ing was planned for anG designed as the
home Of the City Post once, its space
beyond the needs Of that establishment
to be occupied by miscellaneous bureaus.
In very short time, however, 1t was
turned over to the Post ONCE Depart
ment, then housed in the structure on
Seventh street Immediately south of the
old Interior Department, now the
Patent ONCE. Then the City Post Of
nee was finally crowded out and new
home provided for it near the Union
Station.
The design Of the present Post once
Department Building is not in har-
mony with the architectural scheme
planned for the Mall-Avenue triangle.
It must, however, remain in evidence
until its successor has been erected
Immediately to the west. Then it will
be RACED and the structure now occu-
pying the southern half Of the section
in which it stands, the building known
as the Internal Revenue ONCE, will
be extended around the square, north
on Tenth Street to Pennsylvania ave-
nue., west to Twelfth and south to
unite with the now standing unit. This
win effect the harmonious develop
ment Of the entire section. The north
ern half of this great structure is yet
to be allocated for specific uses.
Another point Of interest in the
recommendations Of the President re-
specttng immediate appropriations for
Mall-Avenue triangle work Is that the
space between Pennsylvania avenue and
Ninth, B and Tenth streets is to be
assigned as the site for the Depart
ment Of Justice, the Hall of Archives
being located on the Center Market
site Immediately to the east. This is
an exchange Of sites, 1t having been
originally planned to place the Depart
naent Of Justice on the market square.
These five constructions immediate
ly proposed will, for the compile
ton of the Federal building lay
out in the triangle west Of Seventh
street, leave only two vacancies, the
space that Is to be occupied by the
completion Of the Internal Revenue
structure and that between Twelfth
and Fourteenth streets along Pennsyl-
vania avenue and e street. In the
latter space stands the District Build
ing. which is to be acquired by the
Federal Government upon its aban-
donment for the new Municipal Center.
That structure, beautiful in itself, may
stand for some time as part of the
grand architectural unit Of the Mall
Avenue triangle, though eventually 1t
may be remodeled or perhaps COM
pletely replaced.
Thus the great triangle project that
is to transform downtown Washington.
and that is to give the Government for
the first time in its history an adequate
housing equipment for its admins
trative services, progresses definitely
and rapidly. At the present rate Of
progress a decade will witness its
virtual completion. There should be,
as there Is no evidence today Of being,
no disposition to halt the program on
the mistaken plea of economy.
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