Evening star., 1934-07-28
Tentative Approval Given
by Park and Planning
Commission.
GROUPS COORDINATE
ARCHITECTURAL DESIGNS
Fine Arts Unit Also o. ks
$10,000,Ooo Interior De-
partment Structure.

The National Capital Park and
Planning Commission has given ten
tative approval to sites for the pro-
iected War. Navy and Interior De-
partment buildings as the first steps
In the Northwest Rectangle," bound
ed by Eighteenth street and the
Potomac River, Z street and Consti-
tuition avenue.
Plans for the SiO.000,o0o Interior
structure at Eighteenth and z streets
were approved by both the Fine Arts
Commission and the planning group
yesterday. Secretary Ickes has allo-
Gated funds to begin building.
A. E. Demaray. acting director OF
the National Park Service, which Will
supervise construction OF the Interior
Building. said today acquisition Of the
necessary land is being carried for
ward by the Treasury Department.
BY the time the land Is In Federal
Government ownership, Demaray
said, the officials hope detailed plans
will be finished by Waddy Wood,
local architect.
The War Department is assigned
to the area at Twenty-third street
and New York avenue and the Navy
Building will be erected on the river
side of the Naval Hospital. with
Naval Museum fronting directly be-
how it on the waterfront.
Buildings Key Points.
The Interior, War and Navy Build
ings form key points IN the northwest
group, the home Of future buildings
dor the executive branch Of the Fed"
'eral Government.
A committee was named to study
the architectural relationship Of the
proposed new Pan-Ameriean Union
Administration Building and the new
Interior Department. The Pan-Ameri-
can structure is to be erected at
street and Constitution
avenue. The committee comprises
Henry v. Hubbard Of Harvard Uni-
versity, a member of the Planning
Commission; Gilmore d. Clarke, land
scape architect and member OF the
Fine Arts Commission. and Paul Cret,
architect for the new Pan-American
Union Building.
The Bureau Of Public Roads sug-
,gested modification Of the original
plans for development Of q riverside
drive between the Key and Arlington
Memorial Bridges in the George
Memorial Parkway. The
bureau will give further study to this
on the advisability Of having double
or single roadway--and report to the
meeting of the Planning
lC,onufsgion
Coordinate Plans.
Additional study was given TO
roadway to the Districts new sewage
disposal plant. John Nolen, jr., di-
rector of planning Of the Planning
Commission, today explained that his
will tie in with the George Washing
ton Memorial Parkway Highway, be-
tween the new plant and the Home
for the Aged. This is an extension
,of Fourth street southwest at Maga-
zine road. The District wants an ac-
lcess road to the sewage plant, and
the planners want to coordinate 1t
with the parkway program.
The reservations north OF Piney
Branch, near the Baltimore g. Ohio
Railroad underpass, should be trans
,ferred from the District Commission
'ers to the National Park Service as
part of the citys park system, the
planners decided. This is considered
one of the main entrances TO the
District.
The planners saw no objection TO
electrification plans Of the Pennsyi-
Ivania Railroad in the vicinity OF the
washington Airport. The commission
took this attitude after Eugene L.
Vidal, director of the air commerce OF
the Department of Commerce. submit
tied a report saying that inasmuch as
the railroad had reduced the height
of its poles from 47h feet TO 80 feet,
there would be no interference with
air navigation.
Road Program Mapped.
Closing of Missouri avenue between
Fourth and sixth streets in the Mall
and the transfer of Reservation B, un-
der the Treasury Department, to the
National Capital Parks was urged to
complete unification Of jurisdiction
south of Constitution avenue. G.
Marshall Finnan, superintendent OF
the National Capital Parks, said that
with the ALLEGATION Just made for de-
uelopment of roads in the Mall, all the
roads will be completed, save those
blocked by temporary buildings. The
commission urged that Ninth street be
opened up across the Mall.
The Planning Commission approved
the proposed widening OF Virginia
avenue, from Twenty-third street TO
Constitution avenue. to Sc feet.
The Fine Arts Commission agreed
TO having the inscription on the
Bryant Statue, at Twenty-stxth street
and Constitution avenue, placed on
the front, rather than the side facing
a brewery. It made this change,
after members Of the Bryan Memorial
Association objected to the original