Evening star., 1934-01-30
HUGE NEW ED|F|CE
MAY Be ERECTED
FOR INTERIOR UNIT
Ickes Announces Structure
Would Rival Commerce
Building in Size.
SITE BEING SOUGHT
NOW, SECRETARY SAYS
Present Offices Would Be Used for
Independent Branches-Plan for
C. W. A. Extension.

A gigantic new Interior Department
Building, rivaling in size the Commerc'
Building is under consideration fol
construction in the near future, Interior
Secretary Ickes revealed today.
Secretary Ickes said that the Ma.
tional Capital Park and Planning Com.
mission is searching the Capital for 9
suitable site where such building car
be properly placed to house not only
the vastly expanded activities Of the
Interior Department, but also to takt
care of the Public Works Administra.
tion. If it is to become a permanent
feature Of the Interior Department"
At the same time Secretary Ickes re-
Yealed great personal dissatisfaction
with the temporary buildings that are
now being used by various Government
agencies.
Space Situation Terrible.
THE space situation in Washington
is terrible" he said The temporary
buildings here are an eyesore."
Present plans, Secretary Ickes said
call for turning the present 1nterio
Department Building over to independ
ent offices.
Secretary Ickes has for some tim
had his eye on the new Interstate Com
merce Commission Building in the NAL
triangle but after careful study ha
found that building inadequate. due t
the fast growth of the agencies nov
operating under his administration ant
under the Interior Department.
He is known to be in favor Of gettinI
the widely scattered bureaus and divi
sions Of the Interior Department bacl
under one roof again. and. except TO
the Commerce Department Building
does not believe there is another exist
ing building in the Capital that woult
serve that purpose.
The project hasn't gone as far as tn,
plans and specifications stage. but it i
regarded as a certainty that anothe
huge building will be added to tn
present Federal building layout a
quickly as possible.
Will be "Utilitarian."
Asked what the probable cost o
the building would be. Secretary Icke
said that had not been definitely de
termined and asked:
How much did the Commerce De
partment Building cost?"
1t is not to be monumental
building" he said, but rather a utili
tartan building
At present divisions and bureaus o
the Interior Department are scattered
all over town. while the Public Work
Administration occupies the major por
ton Of the old Interior Building. On,
by one the bureaus and divisions hav,
been forced out until now only the Geo
logical Survey, which has Laboratories
and other equipment which would b,
hard to move, and the National Parl
Service, share the building with th'
P W. A.
The Bureau of Mines has been spill
in two sections and moved away. as ha!
the Office of Education, the Bureau O
Reclamation. the Indian Office. Sol
Erosion Service, the Subsistence Home
stead Division and a portion of tn,
Oil Administration. Independent Of
fees that have been moved out are tht
Tennessee Valley Authority. the Power
Commission and the Radio Commission
Secretary Ickes has given no indica
tion of what sites are under considera.
ton Asked about this. he said, Il have
just been looking out of my office win
dow, casting about for a proper place.