Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1934-03-23
MUNICIPAL CENTER
CHANGE PROBABLE
TO REDUCE COSTS
Park and Planning Commits.
sion Asks for SimpIi-
fled Plans.
DELAN0 HEADS GROUP
FAVORING MOVEMENT
Securing of P. w. A. Funds for
Project Seen Imme.
diately.

The entire Municipal Center project
may be rewritten to reduce the cost
materially and insure the early pro-
curement of funds with which 10 start
the work
This developed today, when the Ma
tlonal Capital Park and Planning
Commission considered the subject
/ and directed its consulting architect.
William T. Partridge, to prepare SIM
plified plans of the Municipal Center
Chairman King of the Senate District
Committee. who is an ex-officio
member Of the commission, telephoned
to indicate his interest in the new
program to construct a less expen-
sive Municipal Center and inaugurate
building Immediately.
Leader of Movement.
| Frederic A. DelanO, chairman Of
the commission, is a leader in the
movement for less elaborate plans for
the Municipal Center. With a
markedly reduced building cost, the
commission believes Public Works Ad-
minlstration funds could be secured
! almost Immediately.
A personal inspection of the site
! at Third street and John Marshall
place was made yesterday afternoon.
| With a flrst-hand view of the prob
| lem the commission devoted part of
! this mornings session to threshing
/ out details
| The whole future of public build
ings in Washington will be con-
! Quoted on a much simplifed scale.
| Thomas S. Settle, the commissions
| secretary, said, calling attention 10
| Secretary 1ckeS' recent announcement
| that the new Interior Department
will be far less pretentious than the
Commerce Department structure.
| Frederick Law Olmsted. landscape
architect Of Brookline. Mass, special
consultant on the development of
Union Square, Immediately west of
the Capitol, appeared at today's ses-
sion of the commission with prelim-
mary plans. Mr.. Olmsted served on
the 1901 commission, which mapped
out program of the development Of
Washington. and in his new plan
eliminates Second street, crossing the
square. Thus Union Square. as now
conceived. will be unbroken from First
to Third streets.
Airport Plan Ready.
The much-diScussed Gravelly Point
| airport will form the subject of a
special report, to be presented to the
commission later in the day This
report, giving current developments in
the airport situation, will be made by
the commissions director OF planning
John Nolen, jr
The legislation in which the COM
mission is interested will be detailed
by Mr.. Settle.
Yesterday afternoon the commission
| inspected the obsolete Army post at
| Fort Foote, Md, which IS to be util-
lied as a link in the George Wash
ington Memorial Parkway. Improve
| ments being made at Boiling Field and
the relationship of this Army airport
and the Naval Air Station at Ana
costa to the projected airport at
Gravelly Point was studied. The COM
mission likewise paid a visit to tie
Pennsylvania Avenue Bridge across
the Anacostia River and discussed its
connection with Anacostia Park The
proposed stadium at the end of East
Capitol street was viewed by the COM
mission, together with the excavation
work for a storm sewer going for
ward there, on the banks of the Ana
costa River. War Department CLANS
for barracks for the headqua- 'ero
detachment here, recently approved
by the Fine Arts Commission, received
commission approval.