Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1935-06-22
LAND CONCERNING
IS STARTED IN D. c.
100000 HOUSING
Southwest Project Begun
in U. S. Action for 49,
Acre Tract.
sos DWELLING UNITS
PROVIDE 1900 ROOMS
Site Bounded by M, P, One-Half
and Canal Streets, P. W. A.
Announces.

A three-million dollar slum- clear
ance and low-rent housing project for
Southwest washington was begun to-
day when the Justice Department
fled condemnation proceedings in
District Supreme Court against l3-
acre tract near the Army War Col
lege.
Public Works Administrator Ickes
announced that the project, which
will replace several blocks Of slum
dwellings in the colored ne'ghbor-
hood, will provide 1900 rooms in sos
housing units.
The new buildings will consist OF
row houses and two-story fats with
front and rear yards.
The site Is bounded by M. p, One
Half and Canal streets southwest, the
Public Works Administration an
nounced.
eliminates Negotiations.
Filing of the condemnation pro-
ceedings Is the elimination of several
months of negotiations between the
p. w. A. Housing Division, Of which
A. r. Clas is director, and private
property owners.
The greater part Of the site has
been put under option and the con-
demnation proceedings are being
brought to clear up questions Of title
and to assure other property owners
fair market price for their hold
ings, as determined by the local court
"In the face of peculiar difficulties. |"
Administrator Ickes said in comment
ing on the project, which viii bring
permanent improvement to one Of the
Oldest sections of Washington. "P. w.
A. has been working many months
in an effort to evolve satisfactory
Stun clearance and low-rent housing
projects for the District Of Columbia.
Efforts TO install one project met
with suflcient resistance In one part
Of the District to warrant abandon
ment.
whoIe City Examined.
"Sinre that time, the HOUSING Haazi-
sion has carefully examined the entire
city Of washington to Zee what sec.
tions presented possibilities for sium
clearance and for 1ow-rent housing.
I'VE found the Southwest section
had tremendous need FOR new hous-
ing and clearance Of substandard
dwellings.
THE project. which is to be de-
veloped near the War College, will
be credit to the National Capital
and will bring the best type of inn
provement to the Southwest area.
Development Of the new housing,
I hope, win point the way to q real
cleanup Of District Stun conditions.
Il has not been easy to work out o
solution meeting all requirements, but
we finally have reached q point where
we can take q definite step forward
toward SUM elimination and better
housing for low-income workers in
the District"
Architectural plans are being de-
veloped in keeping with "the spirit
and tradition Of the National Capital"
the public works administrator added.
A special committee of architects
headed by Hilyard Robinson, colored
architect, formerly professor OF archi-
lecture at Howard University, will
draft the plan.
Other Committee Members.
Other members of the committee
are Irwin Porter, past president o. the
Washington Chapter Of the American
Institute Of Architects: Paul williams
Of Los Angeles, Alexander Trowbridge,
director Of the Hampton Institute,
and v. w. Tandy Of New York.
Trowbridge and Tandy win act as
colisultants.
Preliminary plans for the develop
ment have been worked out ny the
Housing Division in cooperation with
the National Capital Park and Plan
ming Commission. Cooperation Of
District authorities also has been OBJ
tanned by the housing officials.
Two existing streets within the area
are to be closed. They are o street
between One-half and Canal streets,
and Howiscn place between N and M
streets.
The general street layout plan and
arrangement of the living units has
been approved by the Park and Plan
ming Commission.