Evening star., 1935-09-19
Complete Plans to Finance
Development Near P. w. A.
Site in AnaCoStia.
CHARGE P.W.A. PROGRAM
NEARLY WRECKED PLANS
Believed They Had Option on 23-
Acre Tract Later Purchased
by Secretary 1ckes.
pictures on Page BID
BY NELSON NJ, SHEPARD.

In the face OF uncertainty threaten
ing the failure of Secretary Ickes'
housing program here, it was learned
today a group of Federal employees
organizing as the Hollywood PARK
Corp. has completed plans for financ-
ing rival 81 500, 600 development in
Anacostia to provide modern homes at
low cost to Government workers.
The site for this subdivision, first
cooperative enterprise of its kind in
Washington, is a 45-acre tract near
Alabama and Pennsylvania avenues
southeast, which almost adjoins the
% acres acquired last month by Sec
retary Ickes for the proposed Anacostia
terrace, one of the three P. w. A. hous-
ing projects he is trying to build here.
Ready to break ground within a
month, the Hollywood directors de-
clared the first of the 1870 dwellings
planned for the development probably
will be completed next February.
Plans Nearly Wrecked.
Direct competition on the part of
the p w. A. housing division, which
considered the site chosen for this
private enterprise. the Government
employees charged today, nearly wreck
ed their initial plans for Hollywood
Park.
The % acres purchased by 1ckeS
in AnacoStia. it was. revealed for the
first time, was the original area of
undeveloped land on which the Goy-
ernment employees thought they had
ar option, but which proved, accord
ing to George L. Lockhart, their su-
pervising architect, "only real estate
dealers proposal to sell property" But
for the fact that Ickes took over this
property he claimed, Hollywood Park
would be considerably snder way by
now.
This hitherto concealed record of
| P. w. A. competition with a private
building enterprise was explained on
behalf Of the Hollywood group by Mr..
Lockhart, who is also one of the lat
ter groups directors. Composed for
the most part of union employees Of
the Navy Yard, the Bureau Of Engrav-
ing and Printing and the Government
Printing Ofice, seeking to improve
their living conditions, the corpora
ton represents Washington's first low
cost housing project individually pro-
NOTED by group effort.
Individuals Made Payments.
Regarding their supposed option on
| the original site their agreement with
the owners was on tentative basis,
Lockhart said. but individual members
of the corporation had made down
payments of approximately $16500 IN
cash and notes on total of 103 lots.
Ickes' housing officials stole march
on them, however, by making a Gi-
rect offer to the property owners. 1t
was believed he paid very little more
than the price the Government en-
ployes were willing to pay. Despite
the fact the deal would set back their
own efforts several months, represent
atives of the Hollywood corporation
explained their reluctance to oppose
the Governments own plans to pro-
vide homes and employment for lew
wage workers.
Since then President Roosevelt has
reduced Federal housing allotmenLs to
| S100, 900 900, jeopardizing at least one
third of the P. w. A. program. The
Hollywood directors have found that
the tables have been turned and to
| their own advantage. Their own
| project now promises the only I'M
mediate prospect for speedy erection
of low cost housing project in Wash
ington. Secretary Ickes does not
know today which, if any Of the
three projects he so hopefully plan
ned for Washington eventually will be
carried out this year.
Acquire Another Tract.
During the weeks following the loss
of their original tract, the Hollywood
Corp. has applied $4,000 in down
payments on lots in another area
of undeveloped land to the south
ward. They revealed they have two
additional areas under consideration
for possible future expansion.
The new site, while more difficult to
develop properly, was declared to be
preferable to the former location now
owned by the Government. Space
fronting on Pennsylvania avenue,
overlooking a ravine, has been re-
served for the tentative erection of an
apartment building of approximately
go living units.
That the location is destined for
considerable public improvement is in
dicated by the fact that Fort Dupont
lies to the northeast and the Fort Da-
Wis drive is in close proximity to the
southwark. 1t is also in the line Of the
proposed street extensions.
The entire project will be privately
financed, Mr.. Lockhart revealed, on
the basis of Federal Housing Admin
istration insurance on loans and also
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