Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-04-16
Municipal Center Plans,

Representative Simmons insistence
that there be haste in closing the deal
with the Federal Government for sale
Of the District Building, in order that
financial arrangements may more
easily be made in beginning work on
construction Of the Municipal Center
group, should find sympathetic response
rom the new Commissioners. AS the
term of the former Commissioners was
marked by the beginnings of this great
project. so will the term of the new
Commissioners witness some of its
progress toward completion. taking tan
gible form In steel and stone.
The time for closing the deal through
which the District Building will be
transferred to the Federal Government
IN receipt of what is decided upon as
q fair price will depend upon the
Treasury Department, for the recently
enacted Reyes Elliott bill provides for
this transfer. The sooner the transfer
can be made, the better. Many years
viii elapse before the Municipal Center
group is completed, but already the
municipal government needs part of
the room that the new group will pro-
vide.
While Mr.. Simmons suggestion that
the plans and specifications for the
entire group be drawn and approved
before work begins on any of the new
buildings is sound, it is not necessary,
as Mr.. Simmons further suggests, that
some outstanding architect Of the
country" be engaged to do this work.
At least it is not necessary to go OUT
side of the District to secure the services
Of this outstanding architect. The work
of planning the municipal group should
represent the best views Of Washington
architects. The municipal group is an
undertaking that, while semi-national
In its broad scope, is local in so far as
t&a use Is concerned and local in 50 far
as the greater part Of the cost is
concerned. The design for the group
should also be representative Of local
men.
The municipal architects ONCE
with the consultative advice of four
local architects, now is engaged in pre-
pairing what might be considered the
trough draft" of the project as q
whole-in other words, preparing draw
1ngS to show the possible development
Of the available land, what buildings
could be constructed on the site and the
uses to which these buildings could be
placed. After this draft Is completed
and the outline as whole approved,
the design of the buildings themselves
and Of the group as whole will either
be worked out by the municipal archi-
tect or else the contracts given to archi-
tects outside his ONCE.
II these contracts 60 outside the
municipal architects ofnce-and it is
entirely possible that the size of the
undertaking would make this advisable
they should be given to Washington
architects. Thirty or forty of these
architects have formed body known
rs the Allied Architects, Inc, and this
organization now has the contract for
design of the new House once Build
ing. It likewise should be given the
work Of design for the Municipal Cen
Ter. provided this work is to be taken
out of the hands of the municipal
architect.
From the practical standpoint, the
work could not be placed in better
hands, as far as professional ability
Is concerned. From the standpoint of
equity the plans should represent the
work Of members of the Washington
community. The designs must, as Mr.
Simmons contends, be the best that is
available. But it is not necessary to
Leave the District to find them.