Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-09-01
WORK ON THREE BIG
FEDERAL BUILDINGS
WILL START SOON
Connected Structures to Ex-
tend Three Blocks ALONG
Constitution Avenue.
McCLOSKEY & co. GETS
FOUNDATION CONTRACT
Second Phase of Program to Be
1naugurated With Ground
Breaking.

Construction Of one Of the largest
groups of connected public buildings in
the Capital will begin soon following
the award of contract late yesterday to
McCloskey g. Co.. Inc, of Philadelphia
for excavation and foundations of three
buildings to stretch along Constitution
avenue from Twelfth to Fourteenth
streets, distance of three city blocks
The site, which virtually has been
cleared by UreckerS reaches from the
new Internal Revenue Building at
Twelfth street to the new Department
Of Commerce Building at Fourteenth
street. There are two interesting
streets. Thirteenth and Thirteen-and-a
nall street, both Of which will be closed
as through streets.
Buildings to Be Grouped
The three new buildings to fill this
great gap in the Government triangle
area are the Interstate Commerce Com
mission. at Twelfth street: the Depart
ment of Labor at Fourteenth street
and the Government Auditorium he
tween. They will be connected. the two
outer buildings being virtually the same
with the center Government Auditorium
acting as an architectural motif be-
tween.
McCloskey & Co. Inc. made the low
oHer when bios were opened August 81
ana was awarded the contract bv As
Slstant Secretary Of the Treasury Ferry
$50. '0-0'
At the same time he signed the con-
tract late yesterday, Maj. Heath also
placed his signature on three other con-
tracts for Federal buildings in various
places. including one at Murray, XIV.
ST. 800: Somersworth. N. H. s64,29o.
and Cedar Rapids Iowa 1912 1876.
Will Cut Car Tracks.
The site for the three new buildings
here Is cut at Thirteen and-a-half
street by the tracks of the Mount Yer
ron, Alexandria and Washington Rail-
way. which still continues to run its cars
INTO the terminal at Twelfth street and
pennsylvania avenue. What will be
cone with this railway has not yet been
determined. although negotiations are
under way between the Government and
the railway.
Not only does the railway bisect the
site for the Department of Labor Build
ing. out 1t also cuts across in two diff
ferent places the site for the new Post
once Department. for which excavation
bids have been asked by the Treasury
department., 10 De opened September 10.
Ground to Be Broken.
Actual construction work on the great
second phase of the Governments pub
lie building program in the Federal
triangle is scheduled to get under way
within the next few days, with ground
breaking for the Archives Building on
the site of old Center Market. Plans
for this ceremony are being arranged
by Assistant Secretary Heath.
IhlS ground-breaking will be followed
soon by work on other big jobs in the
triangle. including the three buildings
for which contract has just been let,
the new Post Office Department and
the Department of Justice Buildings.
The latter is to be between Ninth and
Tenth streets, Constitution and Pennsyl-
wanna avenue, on site which has been
cleared. Bids have been asked for the
excavations and foundations for the
Justice Department Building. to be
opened September 8, by the Treasury
Department.
Bids vii be received September II for
clearing away the Quartermaster
stables and White House garage. at
Twentieth street and Virginia avenue.
where the new headquarters of the Pub
lie Health Service Building is being
constructed Excavation and founda-
ton work already is under way there.