Evening star., 1935-02-08
TWO CIVIC CENTER
PLANS APPROVED
BY TRADE BOARD
Major Part of Wyeth Propo-
sal and Land Sale Are
Included.
TWO ARE TURNED DOWN
ON ACCOUNT OF COST
Commissioners Commended for
Restudy of Project in Light
of Present Conditions.

Either Of two plans, each embrac-
ing the sale of part of the land
already acquired by the District, has
been approved by the Washington
Board of Trade for development of
the proposed Municipal Center be-
tween c and G streets and Third and
Sixth streets.
Each of the plans embraces a major
part Of the plans already submitted
by Nathan c. Wyeth. municipal
architect, and approved by the Ma
tlonal Capital Park and Planning
Commission. The District Commits.
sioners, while indicating their ap-
proval of the Wyeth proposal, have
not yet taken definite action.
The Board Of Trade considered four
schemes for completion of the project,
but rejected two of them because of
the excessive cost. Either of these,
the board of governors explained.
would cost 25,OOO.0O0 or more, and
both are impossible of accomplish
ment because of the extremely high
cost. The District has already spent
more than $6,000,000 in obtaining the
land.
Property Sale Provided.
The two plans approved call for the
sale of the property south of Indiana
avenue and D street to the Federal
Government and use of the money
Tor actual construction of buildings.
The Board of Trade desires to COM
mend the present Commissioners of
the District for their decision to re-
study the plans of the Municipal
Center in the light of present condi-
tions," the resolution, sent to the Com
miSSioners, say.
1T makes the following recon-
mendation:
The southern half of the present
Municipal Center site should. if pos
s1ble, be sold TO the Federal Govern
ment. The court buildings should be
erected IN Judiciary Square and paid
for from the proceeds Of the sale Of
half OF the present site, reserving for
future consideration the location of
the Administrative Building on the
northern half of the present site or
on the site of the old Pension Office"
@1A'dhSdSCS II OlAltcu Outs
In describing the two approved
plans the board pointed out the fol-
lowing advantages:
Scheme III. Under this scheme
the entire present site would be sold
to the Federal Government and the
entire group of Municipal Center
buildings would be built on judiciary
Square. The advantages of this plan
are as follows:
81. 1t would locate all of the build-
ings on level land, without the ex-
penSe of regarding D street, Fourth
street and Fifth street.
%. 1t would bring all the court
buildings into one properly balanced
group OF buildings, which could be
designed on a modest but dignified
scale in keeping with the old Court
House instead of the more monu-
mental but less attractive buildings of
the Federal Triangle.
g. The location of the Administra-
ton Building on the site of the old
Pension Office Building is such that it
could be designed as an Office building
without any forced attempt at SYM
metry With the court buildings.
q. The park which would be left
in the center would still be about the
size OF Franklin Square and being en-
tirely surrounded by the buildings Of
the Municipal Center, it could easily
be made the most beautiful park in the
city.
We'd Obviate Extra Sum.
IS. As ming a sale of the entire
present Municipal Center site and of
the present District Building, and a
purchase OF the Judiciary Square site
on basis which would be fair to both
the District and the Federal Govern
ments, the entire Municipal Center
group, both court buildings and ad-
miniStrative buildings, could be built
without the necessity of appropriating
a single additional dollar.
Scheme w. In this plan, the
location Of the court buildings is the
same as in scheme III, but only the
southern half of the present site is
to be sold tc the Federal Govern
ment and the administration building,
instead of being built on the site
of the old Pension Office, would be
built on the northern half of the
present site. This scheme, while
effecting great savings over the origi-
nal plan, would be more costly and
less pleasing in appearance than
scheme III. In order to obviate
closing John Marshall place, it would
neceSsitate building the administra-
ton building in two units. However,
it does overcome the only serious OBJ
lection of scheme III, by providing
adequate space for future expansion"