Evening star., 1934-11-09
MODIFIED CENTER
PLAN IS |ND0RSED
BY CIVIC LEADERS
Sale of Half of Site for Con-
struction of New D. C.
Quarters Approved.
IMMEDIATE NEED OF
BUILDING is CITED
One Objection Raised at Hearing
Before Archaeological Program
Held TOO Extravagant."

SeIlUST SlIC DC SOlNl 81 tAAoe SOAA0S> 49,
ton of the first unit of the new home
of the District government could be
started at an early date was given
general approval today by numerous
civic leaders attending hearing on
the matter before the city heads.
While most of the spokesmen Tor
business, professional and civic
groups said they spoke as individuals
because their organizations had not
vet acted on the plan, the Bar As
sociation offered to make an active
campaign for the change, If the Com
missioners would seek immediate ac-
ton.
This offer came from Thomas P.
Littlepage, chairman of the Commit
tee on the Municipal Center OF the
Bar Association, and was made with
the approval of F. Regis Noel, presi-
dent of the District Bar Association.
He said the only stipulation would be
that sufficient land be retained 70
provide a margin for expansion, that
the buildings erected be dignified in
charater and adequate in space. He
termed the original plan for monu-
mental center entirely too extrava-
CANT"
If Congress should agree to pay
S5,O00,000 for the present District
Building and some s6,00o,000 for the
site of the Municipal Center, no ad-
ditional District appropriation would
be necessary under the plan to build
the Center on Judiciary Square, ac-
cording to Rodier and Justement.
Figuring the value of the Judiciary
Square needed for the purpose at So
100000 this would leave $4,000, 900 OF
the Federal payment for construction
of the new District housing.
Others Give Approval.
Others who approved the idea Of
a curtailment of the original plan,
which set up an expected cost total
ing between S20,000,000 and S25,000,-
900, were: A. J. Driscoll president OF
the Mid-City Citizens Association; l..
A. Carruthers first vice president,
Federation Of Citizens Associations:
Arthur Clarendon Smith of the Fed
Grafton of Business Mems Associa-
tions. Gilbert L. Rodier and Louis
Justement, Washington architects.
A contrary view, however, was ex-
pressed by L. R. Maddox, who said ne
spoke for the Columbia Heights Citi-
Zers' Association at the direction Of
its president. He said Washington
one of these days would be the great
est place in the world" and that Moth
ing should be done which would
handicap its development to that end.
Let's not be penny wise and pound
foolish" he said. He proposed that
the District start to build now what it
could finance When Commissioner
Hazen asked him how he would
finance the project, Maddox said the
financing is detail"
Commissioner Hazen opened the dis
cussion by giving a history of the
Municipal Center plans, showing that
Congress had overruled the original
plans of the Commissioners for a
comparatively modest group Of build
ings and had ordered the purchase of
four instead of two squares.
Need Is Cited.
There is no doubt about the need
for new buildings to house our lower
courts and other agencies, he said.
But it appears that we never can
finance the cost of the original plan.
He said it seemed to be common
sense to sell the lower two squares,
since the area of the two northern
squares is seven times larger than
the property on which the present
District Building stands" ..
Littlepage declared. If you are
prepared to go ahead on this new
basis, the bar association will be glad
to give you full cooperation. What
We need now is action. The condition
of present housing for the minor
courts now is almost as unspeakable
as the depression; and almost as un-
explamable.
The original plan cannot be car
ried out. The financing makes it i'm
possible. 1t is just like a hen trying
to hatch door knob.
Asks Dignity in Building.
Here is the proposition: We should
preserve enough of the site to pro-
vide adequate new housing for the
needs of District agencies, and some
margin for future expansion. We
must not be niggardly, the buildings
must have dignity and character and
adequate space. But the remainder of
the site could be sold"
A spokesman for the Women's Bar
AScnriatiOn eynrccSnI Sip,i1ar 1yiau
but emphasized that a separate en-
trance. should be made for the new
Juvenile Court. Later, she suggested
it would be better to build separate
building for juvenile courts.
Engineer Commissioner Dan I.
Sultan expressed considerable inter-
est in this suggestion.
Rodier and Justement suggested
that it might be found advisable to
seek an exchange of the civic center
site for title to the whole of Ju-
dietary Square as space adequate for
new District housing.
Arthur Heaton announced that the
Board of Trade had just appointed
special committee to make a study
OF the Municipal Center problem and
would submit its ideas later. Heaton
said he personally was convinced it
would be foolish to carry out the
project on its present scale.
Clayton Approves.
William NICK. Clayton, speaking for
the Brightwood Citizens Association,
said the present plan was considered
extravagant. He approved Hazen's
plan to sell the lower half of the
present site.
Both Littlepage and Smith offered
objections to the suggestion that the
District 60 into debt in order to
build the new center. Littlepage also
took issue with the suggestion of
Rodier and Justement to seek acuui-
sition Of Judiciary Square. He SAIL