Evening star., 1936-07-08
JUDICIARY SQUARE |
SOON TOBE BEGUN
Police Court Building Bids
Will Be Opened in
45 Days.

Wnen bldS are opened IN 45 days
on the new Police Court Building to
be constructed in Judiciary square,
the recorder of deeds. Its position will
will have its first actual development.
Since the original plan was put
forward in 1922, many designs for
the proposed center have been offered,
each to meet with ultimate failure,
either because of lack Of money or
because the Fine Arts Commission,
the National Capital Park and Plan
ming Commission or some other
agency, raised barrier.
The new Police Court Building,
however, has passed all the required
tests, and under authority from Con-
gress will be the first Of three build
ings that will transform Judiciary
square from its present open park
space to the center Of legal activities
Of the Capital.
Forms Boundary of Court.
The new building will be erected
north Of E street. facing Fifth street,
and will form the western boundary
of an enclosed court that will be the
largest park area in the city outside
of Potomac and Rock Greek Parks.
| According to Capt. Hoel S. Bishop, jr..
assistant engineer commissioner, the
enclosed park space, when the entire
courts building plan is completed,
will be larger than either Lafayette
square or Franklin Park.
The other two buildings have not
yet been specifically authorized or
appropriated for, but approval by
Congress Of the first of the three
buildings has given what is viewed
as virtual official sanction to the
completed court square" develop
ment.
When completed, a second build
ing, the duplicate Of the new Police
Court Building so far as exterior
architecture is concerned, will be
erected on the east border of Judiciary
square, directly opposite the Police
Court structure to house the Munich
pal Court.
Off-setting the Court Of Appeals
Building will be another duplicating
it to house the Juvenile Court and
the recorder Of deeds. Its position will
be directly east of the present Court
of Appeals Building and will match
1t so far as outside appearance is
concerned
Will Cost SI,500,0O0.
The Police Court Building will cost
$1,500,000. Congress in the current
appropriations act set up $1,000, 900
TO start the work and the Treasury
made the money available yesterday.
Plans and specifications had al
ready been prepared. and when the
Commissioners learned the money was
at hand they authorized the bids.
The structure will run north and
south 303 feet, facing Fifth street,
and ITO feet east and west, with en-
frances on both E and F streets. It
will be conditioned throughout
and part Of the contract will include
the drilling Of two wells in Judiciary
Square to supply the needed water.
Capt. Bishop said that soundings
have already indicated that water
can be reached at level not too far
down, although the volume has not
yet been determined. Bids for the
wells will be opened Friday afternoon.
The building, to be three stories
high, will be of lines sone exterior to
conform with the present District Su-
preme Court Building and the Court
| nf Anneals Building
s'BuII Pens" in Basement.
The basement floor will be taken
up chiefly with the mechanical equip
ment for the air-conditioning and
elevators, but almost a third Of the
north end will be converted into two
bull pens" for prisoners, divided to
separate men from women. One Of
them will be for United States pris-
oners and the other for District pris-
oners.
To reach the detention rooms a
driveway from street will be con-
structed with space below the ground
level for the truck or BLACK maria"
to turn.
There will be no heating plant, for
the structure will be connected with
the central heating plan, built for the
Federal triangle.
The first floor will provide Offices
for the District attorney, the corpora
ton counsel, the marshal, the bailiffs,
the financial clerk and the docket
clerk A special room will be con-
structed for the press. All Of these
will be arranged around q central
corridor.
The second floor will have four
court rooms, with adjacent judges
chambers, jury rooms, witness rooms
and the quarters for the probation
officer.
The third and top floor will be only
half finished. The completed part will
include two more court rooms, with
the necessary judges chambers, jury
and witness rooms.
The unfinished half will allow for
expansion when 1t Is needed and its
use will be determined by demand.
The municipal architects office now
is completing interior plans for the
building to face the new Police Court
structure. In general it will follow the
same plan, but the interior will be
revised to fit the needs of the Mu-
nicipal Court.
All of the public rooms will be nm
ished in paneled oak.
A feature will be two auxiliary ele-
vators, not necessarily for public use.
that may be utilized to hustle prison.
ers in and out of the building, or for
the judges to come and 60 privately
| from their court rooms.
The structure is to be completed
IA months after the contract is let on
|