Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-01-06
Efforts of Ten Agencies Re-
CURED to Complete New
Eliot Junior High.
JURY'S SITE PRICE CUT
$26, 500 BY BARGAINING
Redrawing of Plans Is Among
Causes of Delays Before Con-
tract Was Let Last May.
BY CHARLES b. DEGGEs.


| required over 412-year period to make
the new Eliot Junior High School,
Eighteenth and B streets northeast
ready for occupancy next September.
Here was procedure in which the
District Commissioners, negotiating
with fund not limited by the legisla-
tive provision forbidding the eXpendi-
ture of more than 125 per cent of the
property's assessed value, we're able to
buy the site for $26,500 less than a
condemnation court jury'S price.
It was a procedure which embraced a
delay necessitated by the redrawing of
section of the buildings plans in
Difference to a request by the National
Capital Park and Planning Commission.
These facts were revealed in review
of the steps taken to secure the Eliot
School which DR.. Frank w. Ballou,
school superintendent, completed yes
terday and in a supplemental investi-
CATION by The Star. DR.. Ballou Will
present his findings to the House Sub
committee on Appropriations, Of which
Representative Robert G. Simmons OF
Nebraska is chairman, during the COM
ing hearings on the school needs Of
1882.
Funds Asked in 1927.
The cease history" of the Eliot Junior
High School shows that besides the
School Board, the agencies which had
to do with the acquisition OF the school
were the District Board of Commission
ers, the Federal Bureau of the Budget,
Congress, Office of the Engineer Com
missioner, the Condemnation Court,
municipal architect, District of Co
lumbia fire chief, the National Capital
Park and Planning Commission and
chnWC further
that while the School Board first re-
quested funds for the buildings site in
May, 1927, it failed two consecutive years
to get the item past the Budget Bureau
and finally requested its purchase out
of an unSpecified fund carried in the
appropriation act of 1880.
The story of the Eliot School is not
unlike that of the Alice Deal Junior
High School at its outset In May, 1927,
the School Board submitted an esti-
mate of 100000 to the Commissioners
for the site. The Commissioners in turn
forwarded the request to the Bureau of
the Budget, which eliminated it from
the 1929 fiscal year estimates. The
School Board tried again in May, 1928,
and again the item got as far as the
Budget Bureau, where once more it was
killed.
Meanwhile, in the Summer Of 1928,
the Engineer Commissioners Office I'M
dertook negotiations for the purchase
Of the land out of unassigned funds
carried in the appropriation act for
1929, which became available that July.
The initial overtureS for the purchase
were made orally with the owner of
the property, and the first written rec
ord of the proceedings is dated August
II, 1928, when, after becoming con-
WINGED that the owner would not sell
at anywhere near the assessed value,
the Commissioners ordered condemna-
ton proceedings.
Price Set at $4,000.
The condemnation jury returned its
verdict late in February, 1929, setting
the price at 100000 a figure con-
siderably above 125 per cent of the as
sessed value. Although the money
which the Commissioners were plan
ming to spend for this property was
not Limited" by the 125 per cent pro-
vision, they determined to drive the
best bargain they possibly could. The
condemnation jury'S price, they de-
cided, was entirely too high and they
advised the property owner OF their
opinion.
Going further, they told him they
would abandon the purchase entirely
rather than meet that price. Further
negotiations resulted in compromise
in which the property changed hands
at a price of $93, 480, still above the
assessed value, but $26,520 less than
the condemnation jury had set. Title
was obtained to the property June Z,
1929.
At the same time that the Board OF
Education initiated the request for the
Eliot site-May, 1927-it asked also for
S14,25O for the preparation of the plans:
rTIon cic hnyuPUpT eliminated
the item. The following May, the
School Board asked for 100000 for the
beginning of construction. Under the
regular policy, the plans would be pre-
pared out of this initial fund. the
Commissioners forwarded the item to
the Budget Bureau.
Item Doubled by Bureau.
The Bureau of the Budget doubled
the item and sent 1t on 10 CONGRESS;
where it was defended by the school
authorities and included by the House
and Senate in the appropriation act Tor
1880.
In May, 1929, the school authorities
submitted an estimate for the balance
of the obligated total cost of the struc-
ture and this 100000 was approved by
all the agencies through which it passed
to be embraced in the appropriation act
for 1881.
On July 1, 1929, the first 100000 be-
came available and the following July
the remaining 100000 was placed at
the disposal of the District.
Sketches for the plans of the school
were begun by the municipal architect
on October IS, 1929. These sketches
were forwarded to the Board of Educa-
ton two weeks later. On November 16
the School Board returned the sketches
to the municipal architect with criti-
cisns and suggestions. They were re-
vised on the basis of the school authori-
ties suggestions, and returned to the
Franklin School Administration Building
in 10 days. In another days, the
sketches were back at the District Build
ing with the School Boards approval.
From this point, December 4, 1929,
until January 3, 1880, the procedure
was delayed while the municipal arehi-
tect made further changes in his plans
in order to reSituate the building on its
site at the request of the Park and
Planning Commission. On January 4
the final working drawings were begun
and on January % the specifications
were launched.
Approved by Fire Chief.
Plans for the building were submit
ted to the District of Columbia fire chief
February Is, $780, and were returned
by him with his approval the following
day. The specifications were completed
February Is and the working drawings