Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-08-02
EXCAVATION BIDS
/. FOR ARCHIVES SITE
TO Be RENEWED
$27,320 Low Offer Cancelled
When Firm Learns Long
Haul Required.
DIRT NOT SUITABLE :
FOR DUMPING ON MALL
Contracts Later to Be Let for
Foundation at Old Center
Market.

Because of the refusal of low bid
ders to do the work, on account Of
complications, the Government within
a few days will set aside the first group
Of bids opened May 10 for excavations
on the site of old Center Market for
the new Archives Building and will ad-
vertise for new bids on the job.
The Udelson Excavating g. Wreck
ing Co. Of Cleveland Heights, Ohio, was
low bidder at a sum of $27,230 when
bids were opened by the Treasury more
than two and half months ago. This
company had obtained information, it
was claimed, that it could dump certain
excavated earth from the Center Mar
ket site somewhere on the Mall. But
1t developed that the character of the
soil TO be eXcavated was such that Of
icials in charge of the Mall would not
permit 1t to be dumped there. This
meant a much longer haul elsewhere
and increased expense to the contractor,
which he asked not to be required to
assume. Other bidders also were I'M
derstood to have declined to do the
work.
New Bidding Decided.
After long consideration of the ques-
ton, it was decided the best thing to
do would be advertise for new bids.
The Archives is one of the huge enter
prtses in the Governments building pro-
gram. 1t will take up a large part of
the site of old Center Market bounded
by Seventh and Ninth streets, Constitu-
ton avenue and Pennsylvania avenue.
The first part Of the work will be for
excavation only, and contract for the
foundations will be let later.
Progress is expected to get under way
soon on the sites of three other big
structures in the Federal building tri-
angle, the new Department of Labor,
Interstate Commerce Commission and
Department of Justice.
The Treasury is planning to advertise
within the next few days for bids for
both the excavations and foundations
Tor these three large buildings.
The site Of the Department of Jus
tice. between Ninth and Tenth streets.
Constitution and Pennsylvania avenues,
mas been completely cleared of its old
DuloingS and is now surrounded by q
white board fence. It is ready for the
steam shovels Of the excavators.
1. C. C. Site Cleared.
The site Of the Interstate Com
merce Commission, at Twelfth street
and Constitution avenue, has been COM
pletely cleared of its old buildings, and
is to be let out by the Treasury De-
partment. on public bidding, as an
automobile parking area, temporarily,
until the excavatorS are ready.
the site OF the new Department Of
Labor, at Twelfth street and Constitu-
ton avenue, Is now in the hands of
wreckers, who last week threw one of
the large steel and concrete smoke
stacks CT the old Potomac Electric
Power Co. substation. The rest of the
buildings on the site are being rapidly
demolished, and the other remaining
smokestack will be thrown within the
next 10 days of 2 weeks.
Complications still surround the situ-
alton concerning the new Post Office
Department which is to 60 on the site
at pennsylvania avenue between
Twelfth and Thirteenth streets. Wreck
ers are tearing down buildings on the
site, but the terminal of the Mount
Vernon, Alexandria q WASHINGTON
railway has refused to get out without
least for the time being. It is the
situation concerning this railway which
has delayed the building program in
the Federal building triangle. The
Railway has refused to get out without
reimbursement for loss of its tracks
and terminal, and appealed to the
courts to prevent the Government from
taking the properties without pay.
Meantime conferences to reach an
agreement have failed to resolve the
differences and the matter is still
pending. The railway has been offered
a temporary terminal at Fourteenth
street and Constitution avenue, but has
not yet accepted. A hearing will be
held soon before the Public Utilities
Commission of the District on the pro-
posal. Railroad officials wanted to
give the people Of Alexandria an oppor-
tunity to be heard.