Evening star., 1935-02-17
MUNICIPAL CENTER
AUTHORITY ASKED
Congressional Sanction This
Week Urged to Allow
Court Buildings.

Congressional authority to build
new homes for the three minor Dis
trict courts in Judiciary Square with
loans from the Public Works Admin
istration will be sought by the Com
missioners this week under plans now
being whipped into shape.
This is in accord with the program
approved recently by the Commits
sioners proposing disposition of the
lower half of the present site for the
Municipal Center
Lieut.. Col. Dan I. Sultan, acting
for the Board of Commissioners. yes
terday called upon Corporation Coun-
sci E. Barrett Prettyman to draft
proposed amendment to the District
P. w. A. act to provide for construc-
tion of the three minor courts build
ings in Judiciary Square.
Under present plans the Commis-
sioners at some time later will pre-
pare a bill authorizing them to sell
the lower half of the present center
site and later also will complete plans
for financing construction Of the new
District administration building on
the northern half of this site, or be-
teen G and D streets and Third and
Sixth streets.
Part of Compact Scheme.
The proposed new home for the
Juvenile Court would be erected just
to the north and east of the District
Supreme Court, to form a balance
with the District Court of Appeals
Building to the north and west of
the District Supreme Court.
The new buildings for the Municipal
and Police Courts would be erected
to the north of the District Supreme
Court, one on either side of a center
parking area.
This general scheme has been ap-
proved by the National Park and
Planning Commission and the Board
of Trade. Tentative plans for such
a development were drafted recently
by Municipal Architect Nathan c..
Wyeth. Months ago Commissioner
Melvin G. HaZen started a move to
sell off half of the present center site,
declaring that the District could not
finance so huge project and did
not need buildings of the size orig
inally planned. This point was in
dorsed by representatives of various
civic groups at a public hearing last
Fall.
Action on Bill Soon.
The bill now being drawn Is ex-
pected to reach the Commissioners
for action early this week. 1t would
authorize the District to borrow funds
from the P. w. A, 70 per cent to be
repaid over period of years, with
interest, on the same terms as the
loans for the sewage disposal plant
and the adult tuberculosis hospital.
The present District P. w. A. act
authorizes the city to borrow up to
$l0,750,000. The amendment would
provide that this sum could not be
exceeded. The District has obtained
P. w. A. funds for but two projects,
although the bill authorized four-an
addition to Gallinger Municipal Hos
pital and construction of the walled
group" at the District Reformatory at
Lorton, Va, as well as a $1,500,000
tuberculosis hospital and the $4,-
100000 sewage plant.
Revised plans for the Municipal
Center will be submitted to the Fine
Arts Commission at its meeting on
Saturday by Municipal Architect
Wyeth. A design for the new tuber-
culosis hospital at Glendale, Md, will
/ likewise be submitted.
Other Developments Stressed.
Special attention will be given by
/ the commission to plans for the Co.
lumbia Island development of the
Arlington Memorial Bridge project.
Matters centering around improve
ment of the memorial avenue lead
ing from the island to Arlington Ma
tional Cemetery will be considered
also.
Landscape plans for number of
National Capital Park areas-includ-
ing Palisades Recreation Park along
the Potomac River near the Dalecarlia
filtration plant and for Lafayette
Park-will be laid before the COM
mission by the National Park Service
| Projected treatment of the area
south of the Capitol, adjacent to the
Army War College, will be submitted
to the commission by Francis P. Sui
livan, Washington architect, on be-
half of the Allied Architects, Inc. He
| is chairman of the National Capital
Committee of the American Institute
I of Architects.