Evening star., 1934-01-20
No More Hit-and-Miss Planning.

Plans for the widening of F street
between Seventh and Ninth streets,
which have been under consideration
for some time, with the view of provid-
ing more space for traffic at that point,
have been deferred for further study Of
the problem. 1t is one of difficulty,
owing to the fact that the building oc-
cupying the two-block site. formerly the
home of the Department of the Interior.
presents an obstacle to the enlargement
of the thoroughfare. This is a conse-
ouence of the hit-and-miss system Of
emplacement for the Federal structures
that once prevailed The location of
that building and the one to the south.
formerly used by the Post Office De-
partment, later by the Land Office and
the Indian Bureau and of late years by
miscellaneous Offices, had no particular
relationship to the general plan of
Capital development. When they were
80 established there was, in fact, no
such general plan, outside of the group
ing Of the Treasury and the State
War-Navy buildings on the f1anks of
the White House. The other admins
trative units of the Government were
scattered about the downtown area.
When the Mall-Avenue triangle
program of construction was first pro-
posed it was believed to be possible to
assemble in that space all the struc-
lures necessary for the economical and
effective housing Of the Federal units
BY the time it was started. with the
acquisition of the so-called flve-square
site at the western end of the triangle,
the Governments organization had
been expanded and new administra-
tive unit had been organized, known as
the Department of Commerce and
Labor. 1t was then proposed to place
three buildings on that one site, to
house the Departments Of State. Justice
and Commerce-Labor Delay occurred
and study revealed the fact that the
space was not adequate for three build
ings. Proposal was made to place one
Of them on the Mall, to which opposi-
tion was evidenced. Then came the
war and all permanent building plans
were dropped, and temporary structures
sprang up like mushrooms in the parks.
Eventually the whole triangle was
acquired and buildings were authorized
and begun and that program Is now
nearing completion,
But even with this great triangle fully
occupied with the structures projected
other urgent needs are felt and addi-
tional buildings are required. Mean
while new Interior Department has been
erected, on a site then quite unrelated
to any system Of group emplacement
That now may find itself feature Of
another grand plan, including the
ments. The lesson Of the old Interior
Department building, which so un-
fortunately blocks the way to neces-
sary street widening, should be applied
to the solution of this later problem OF
80 locating the Governments structures
as to afford the maximum Of utility
and to offer the minimum Of obstruction
to the flow of traffic, which has sur
passed the expectations of all the city
planners Of the past and is even sur
prising to those Of recent years.
Whatever is done with the building
on F street between Seventh and Ninth
If anything at all is done-it should
serve as a warning against single-site
emplacements of Government housings
hereafter and a guide to early action
to bring the Federal equipment at the
Capital up to the mark of adequacy and
permanent consistency with the general
plan of Capital making.