Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-03-07
SITE FOR WAR-NAW
BUILDINGS PICKED
WEST OF 18TH ST.
Area Runs to 23d With B
Street as Southern Bound
airy of Triangle.
DEPARTMENTS MAY GET
TWO STRUCTURES EACH
Government Already Owns Part Of
Ground Needed for Great
Project.

The triangle bounded by Eighteenth
street, Twenty-third street, New York
| avenue and B street northwest, was Sc
lected today by The Public Buildings
, Commission as the area for the group
! of new buildings for the War and Navy
Departments.
The decision was announced by Sem
ator Smoot of Utah, chairman, follow
ing the last of series of meetings ex-
tending over the past two months in
the course of which this and two other
general areas were considered.
The. other localities which were
eliminated by today's decision were: On
both sides of Pennsylvania. avenue west.
Of Seventeenth street and the area
south of Maryland avenue and west of
/ Canal street southwest near the
Capitol.
May Add Buildings.
1t also was revealed that there may
be more than two buildings to accom-
modate the Office requirements of the
War and Navy Departments. 1t was
indicated as a possibility that there
may be two buildings for each of these
departments instead of one for each,
depending on how the Government
architects finally decide what is the
best arrangement to make OF the avail
able land.
The selection of this area will enable
n
angle extending from Seventeenth
street to Twenty-third street between
New York avenue and B street, bal
ancing in the general layout of the city
the other triangle being developed east
of the White House from Fifteenth
street to the Capitol.
The Government already owns a
considerable portion of this western tri-
angle and has the necessary authority
under the Keyes-Elliott law of last
year to buy the remainder.
Part Not Now Owned.
The squares within this triangle
which do not already bslong to the
Kovernment are: From Eighteenth to
Nineteenth. D to streets; from Nine
tenth to Twentieth, B and G Streets:
from New York avenue to c street,
Twenty-f1rst to Twenty-second streets,
dIiQ SIild1l area between 1WenIy-SGC-
end and Twenty-third streets south
of c. The Seventeenth street side of
this triangle Is already developed with
semi-pubiic ornamental structures and
viii not be disturbed in any way. The
new buildings will extend westward
from Eighteenth street below New
York avenue
The National Academy of Sciences
Building is in this triangle at Twenty
first and B streets and also viii be left
undisturbed.
architects to consider various alternate
layouts that would be feasible for the
best utilization of the area selected
Cost viii Be Large.
Lieut.. Col. U. S. Grant, Sd, executive
officer of the Building Commission,
said today that no exact estimates have
been made yet as to the ultimate cost
of the War and Navy group. It was
pointed out, however, that the War
Department will require approximately
the amount of space in the new Com
merce Building and that the Navy will
need about the same space occupied by
the Internal Revenue Building
The Commerce Building Is costing
Sl7,500,000 and the Internal Revenue
Building $4,000 900. This gives some
idea Of the probable costs of the War
Navy grouu. depending. of course, on
whether it is decided to arrange the
War-Navy group in two, four or pos
sibly five buildings.
Secretary Of the Treasury Mellon.
VINO has taken an active interest in
the Federal building program in Wash
ington vas in consultation with tho
Building Commission today.
Arts Commission View.
In the course of the conferences
which have taken place during the past
few months, the Fine Arts Commission
has suggested the desirability of plac-
ing the Wal and Navy Buildings along
both sides Of Pennsylvania avenue west
Of the White House. 1t has been brought
out during the discussions that the
Southwest site would probably have ne
cesSitated relocation of the railroad
tracks in that area
The National Capital Park and Plan
ming Commission sometime ago sub
mitted TO the public buildings group
/ report favoring adherence to the Nc
MILAN plan Of 1901 and the plan of
1928 with concentration of Govern
, ment buildings about the axis of the
Mall and about the White House The
| planning commission report in general
indicated preference for the grouping
! OF the War-Navy buildings west of the
/ White House in the general area chosen.