Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-12-28
PLANNERS WOULD
SPEED BEAUT|FY|NG
Commissions Annual Report
Reviews Building Program
for BiCentenniaI.

Speeding up Identification of the Ma
tional Capital so that countless visitors
coming here for the George Washington
! Bicentennial celebration in 1882 may
find fitting city is advocated by the
National Capital Park and Planning
Commission.
In its annual report, now being
studied by President Hoover, the COM
mission surveys the important public
building program now geing forward.
anticipates the parts that will be COM
pleted little more than a year hence
and points out that local organizations
have suggested the development of the
Avenue of the States along East Capitol
street, as part of the celebration of
1882.
1.-The celebration of the bicentennial
of the birthday of George Washington
February %. 1882, will concentrate the
attention of all American citizens on
the National Capital and its envirOns,"
says the report. Many of the projects
now under way will be completed before
that time. For other projects, already
begun or now recommended, completion
by that date appears reasonable goal
The central area of Washington, the
great composition originally proposed
by L'Enfant and revived by the Nc
MILAN Commission, will be we'll adj
vanced toward completion by 1882 Four
principal features are of course,
complete-the Capitol, White House,
Washington Monument and Lincoln
Memorial.
Completed by 1882.
Around the Capitol the new home
for the Supreme Court and The new
House Once Building, and perhaps the
extension Of the Congressional Library,
will all be completed by 1882 This
commission called the attention of the
appropriate authorities to the extension
OF the new House ONCE Building be-
yond the building lines on adjoining
streets to the east and west, aud re-
ceived the cooperation of the building
commission and the allied architects
In providing for the future widening of
south B street in accordance with the
plans of the commission. The park
between Union Station, the Capitol and
Union Square should be finished by
1882, together with the new Botanic
Garden south of Garfield Circle.
Authority has been given for the
opening OF the Mall avenue, including
the completion of Union Square and
the paintings to Fifteenth street, and
with adequate appropriations during the
next fiscal year this work can still be
complete by 1882. In cooperation with
the office Of the Supervising Architect
and the Director of Public Buildings
and Public Parks further and more de-
tailed studies for the development of
the Mall, In accordance with public
| document No. 1896, Seventeen Con-
greSS, have been made by the staff of
the commission. These plans contem-
plate the gradual development of the
proposed avenue and greensward by
stages with minimum disturbance of
existing conditions. Eventually, sepa-
| ration of grades is contemplated be-
tween the Mall drives and Twelfth,
Fourteenth and Fifteenth streets with
these highways carried under the Mall
roads. A new Mall road from Twelfth
| TO Fourteenth street is to be con-
structed Immediately in accordance
| with these plans to provide access to
| the new Agricultural Building. The
plans of the commission call for extern
| sion of Ninth and Fifteenth streets
across the Mall and the widening of
| Twelfth and Fourteenth streets to make
them conform with the lines and widths
already established in the triangle north
OF B street. The commission recon-
mends appropriations at an early date
| for construction of the Mall roads SO
that substantial progress may be made
before 1882.
| Studies Being Made.
with the completion of the Mall to
Fifteenth street the immediate sur
roundings of the Washington Monument
| will be the only part of the whole dis
lance from the Capitol to the Virginia
| shore Of the Potomac which is incom-
plete. Appropriations by Congress have
made possible an intensive study of the
| desirable treatment of the Monument
grounds, which has already been started
| by a special committee composed of F.
L. Olmsted, William A. Delano, Lazarus
White and j. Vipond Davies, acting
with the staff of the Office of Public
Buildings and Public Parks and of this
commission.
THE Arlington Memorial Bridge is
expected to be open for traffic before
mortal Highway. The opening of the
western route from the bridge via the
Lee Boulevard depends upon the action
! a. Congress concerning location across
a corner of the Fort Myer Reservation.
"Northwestward from the Lincoln
Memorial, the land for the Rock Creek
and Potomac Parkway has been Sc
cured and construction started. Com
pletion OF the parkway by 1882 will re-
quire q more rapid improvement pro-
gram than recent appropriations have
allowed. The importance of this main
connection between residential sections
Of the city and the Washington end Of
the Arlington Memorial Bridge can
hardly be emphasized enough.
ION either side Of the park area
along the axis line. including the Cap
itol Monument and Lincoln Memorial,
r street north and B street south give
access TO public buildings and grounds.
As noted In previous reports. this COM
mission has approved roadway widths
OF 70 and 90 feet for B street north be-
tween the Senate once Building and
the river A similar continuous thor
olInnfarA IA ESSENTIAL an kifg aoaYkla aiesa