Evening star., 1934-11-11
CENTERPROPOSED
!. At LOWER COST
|N3NEW PLANS
District Architects Would
Overcome Problem of
Financing.
JUDICIARY SQUARE
SUBSTITUTE FAVORED
Buildings of Reduced Size and
Cost, Providing for Pension Of
flee Removal, Included.

Three radically new and less costly
plans for the proposed Municipal
Center are being prepared by Dis
trct architects as result of Com
missioner Hazen's declaration that the
present scheme is financially impos-
sible unless Congress wishes to as
sumo major share Of the cost.
One of the plans calls for buildings
of simplified design and reduced cost
to be erected on the present site,
leaving the extreme east and west
portions for future expansion
Sketches are being prepared for
building Of either one or two units to
be erected on the north two squares
Of the present site, in keeping with
Hazen's proposal that the lower two
squares be sold to provide construc-
ton funds.
The third plan. offered by a group
OF architects, calls for substitution of
Judiciary Square for the present site
and erection Of a group of buildings
OF reduced size and cost north of the
District Supreme Court Building. This
| involves removal of the old Pension
Office Building.
Cost Much Lower.
The cost of any Of the three sug-
gested new schemes would be consid-
erably less than that involved in the
present plan, the construction cost of
which is variously estimated at be-
tween $40 900 900 and s25 900 900. Ex-
act estimates on the new schemes are
not yet available.
All three proposed new schemes are
in the formative state and will be the
subject of considerable technical study
| before any move is made officially.
At the direction of Commissioner
HaZen, however. Nathan C. Wyeth,
municipal architect, tomorrow will
start a study to determine exactly
how much space is being used by
District agencies in the District Build
ing and, other structures, and how
| much space would be available in the
various proposed new plans.
Hazen is convinced that even if the
lower half Of the present site is sold
the resulting building would provide
! far more space than now is required,
leaving room for expansion for long
| period
He said yesterday he believes Judi
ciary Square would provice the most
likely site of all, but is somewhat du-
| bious about obtaining approval of using
| this area for the purpose. Wyeth re-
vealed yesterday that he favors that
site. He has been studying the matter
| for months, he said
First Public Proposal.
Gilbert L. Rodier and Louis Juste-
| ment, Washington architects, were the
| first to make Q public proposal for an
| exchange of present District proper
| ties for Judiciary Square. Figuring
the value of the square at about So
| 100000 and that of the Municipal
Center site and the District Building
| at $1,000, 900, they calculated that if
this plan is approved the District
would receive S8,000,0O0 to be used for
construction of the new civic build
ings. This, they argued, would be
| sufficient under simplified plans.
The discussion broke into the open
when Hazen proposed sale of the lower
two squares of the present site, which
Is bounded by Pennsylvania avenue,
Third and Sixth streets. and on the
north by D street and Indiana and
Louisiana avenues.
Numerous civic leaders, called into
conference with the Commissioners
Friday, agreed that the cost must be
drastically reduced.
Wyeth revealed yesterday that his
Office had prepared some time ago a
simplified plan for the present site. In
this study the costly columns, porticos
and other embellishments are stripped
off. or greatly limited. Architects say
the result would be dignifled. without
being elaborate. This plan has been
laid on the shelf, for the time, at least.
More recently, sketches were made
of buildings for the present site, but
of different type and still less ex-
pensive. In this scheme, there would
be four separate buildings, two on
~, Dooa Nol,,r,y,