Evening star., 1936-02-01
||CKES SL0SESF|GHT
0N.PAN-AMER|CAN
UNION STRUCTURE
Fine Arts and Planning
Groups Decide Against
Change of Location.
PLAYGROUND LAND
ACQUISITION SPEEDED
New Chain Bridge Is Discussed,
but No Conclusions
Announced.

secretary 1ckcS has lOSt AlLo Al6it "
prevent location of tae Pan-American
Union annex at Eighteenth street and
Constitution avenue. The Fine Arts
Commission and the National Capital
Park and Planning Commission unan-
imously decided yesterday that no ma
terial change should be made in pres
ent plans.
Ickes had contended the proposed
location of the annex would obstruct
the southern view from his new $10,-
600, 900 Interior Department Building,
now being erected.
The commissions said some changes
In treatment of the ground between
the two buildings might be made to
create a more attractive setting. They
contended there Is no other alterna-
tive for erecting the annex. These
two buildings, the commissions held,
must be taken in connection with
the whole northwest rectangle de-
velopment and cannot be considered
as unrelated units.
Spent $4,000 on Tunnel.
The Pan-American Union already
has spent $4,000 on tunnel beneath
Virginia avenue, connecting its present
headquarters with the projected annex
to the southwest. Congress granted
the union the use OF the triangular
plot, bounded by Virginia avenue,
Nineteenth street and Constitution
avenue. It delayed building until
the old central heating plant and
temporary buildings were torn down.
The land has now been cleared; the
union has the money and was ready
to proceed this Spring, when the OBJ
lection of Secretary Ickes was lodged.
Land Acquisition Speeded.
Norman C. Brown. land purchasing
officer of the Planning Commission,
told his colleagues that acquisitions
are practically completed for the Fort
Reno Recreation Center, for the
Palisades Playground and for the Pine
hurst Parkway. Only about half a
dozen owners will have to be taken
into condemnation in the Fort Reno
area, he said. The amount of money
involved in the three projects was not
made public.
Fort Reno is projected as the major
recreational development in the North
west, according to Thomas S. Settle,
the Planning Commission secretary
This will be co-ordinated with the
Woodrow Wilson and Alice Deal
Schools through the cooperation OF
the District Commissioners and the
Board of Education. This section
north of Wisconsin avenue. is along
Nebraska avenue, Forty-first and Fes-
senden streets.
The Palisades Playground is neal
the Chesapeake g. Ohio canal, near
Weaver place and Edmunds place
The Public Works Administration has
granted funds for its Improvement ano
field house is being erected there.
Pinehurst Parkway, in the vicinity
of Aberfoyle and Beech streets. soutf
of Chestnut street, will join RocE
| Greek Park and Western avenue.
Discuss Chain Bridge.
The two commissions discussed tht
new Chain Bridge, on which they
differ, but no conclusion was an
nounced. The planners are willing t
compromise with the District govern
ment and other civic workers in con
structing q low-level utilitarian bridg'
now, leaving to the future the building
of a high-level monumental bridge
upstream, near the Dalecarlia Reser
voir.
The Fine Arts Commission contend
that inasmuch as the new Chail
Bridge will be constructed In tn
future George Washington Memoria
Parkway, it should be in keeping witt
the park and of monumental pro
portions. The Fine Arts Commission
holds that it should accommodate
four lanes of traffic and have ade
quate approaches.
Extension of the Government Print
ing Office and the Bureau of Engrav
ing and Printing were discussed b.
the two commissions and general ap
proval given to the plans.