Evening star., 1936-06-13
FUND TO Be ASKED
FOR GRAND PLAZA
PARKING SUBWAY
$500, 1000 or More Needed
to Develop Underground
Area for 500 Cars.
PLANNING COMMISSION
APPROVES PROJECT
Facilities for U. S. Workers in
Commerce Dept. Area Would
Permit Landscaping of Lot.

Secretary Morgenthau will be asked
to request sufficient funds from Con-
gress, the Public Works AdminiStra-
ton or other sources to insure that
underground parking space for min
inurn of 500 cars be provided in the
Grand Plaza. east of the new Com
merce Department Building, as re-
suit of action taken late yesterday
by the National Capital Park and
Planning Commission.
A minimum of 100000 would be re-
quired for this, according to Thomas
S. Settle, commission secretary. The
commission voted to ask the Secre-
tary of the Treasury, who has Judls-
diction over the Public Works Branch
of the Procurement Division, to ac-
complish this. The underground
parking space would be used by Gov
ernment employees in the mid-Tri-
angle area.
While the same ramp leading to
underground parking as now exists
for the Labor Department might be
utilized in the expansion program,
Settle said details of this have not as
yet been worked out.
:, Plaza Now a Parking Lot.
At the present the Grand Plaza is
. undeveloped and utilized mainly as a
great outdoor garage. Plans call for
erection of a fountain there, sur
rounded by park treatment. The Fine
Arts Commission for some time has
been anxious to have this area cleaned
out and have the Secretary of the
Treasury proceed with plans for ulti-
mate development.
The commission indicated it is op-
posed to turning over the use of lands
) acquired for parks, Fairgrounds and
recreation centers for other purposes,
as it considered the five-year building
program of the Board of Education
and the projected 100000 Grand
Army of the Republic amphitheater at
Fort Stevens. as contemplated in
1 pending legislation.
3 The commission is submitting a pre-
liminary report to the District Com
missioners on new school structures
over the coming five years. While rec
reational facilities are tying in nicely
with property of the Board of Educa-
tion in the light of five years expert
ence, the commission is apprehensive
lest parks, Fairgrounds and recreation
Centers be utilized for construction of
buildings, thus cutting down available
area for public recreational use.
Guard Historical Fort.
AS far as the proposed G. A. r. me-
mortal goes, the commission said it
purchased minimum of land at Fort
Stevens with the limited fund avail
able. Construction of an amphithea-
ter on the fort, it was felt. would de-
tract from its historical significance
as we'll as encroach on the fort drive
program and the character of the
land as a neighborhood park. There
are properties adjoining the area and
the commissions view was that the
sponsors of the amphitheater should
request Congress to appropriate suf1-
cient funds for the purchase of this
section, leaving old Fort Stevens in
tact as one of the relics of Washing
tons defenses in Civil War days. This,
then. could be properly co-ordinated
with the fort drive. the officials felt.
The commission embodied this in a
resolution and will so inform Con-
gress.
At the suggestion of Col. Dan I.
Sultan, Engineer Commissioner, and
H. c. Whitehurst, the Districts di-
rector of highways, the commission
went into the subject of the proposed
bridge across the Anacostia River in
the line of Pennsylvania avenue. The
commission was informed that the
new structure is projected adjacent
to, but Immediately south of the pres
ent bridge. Funds are carried in the
pending District appropriation bill for
plans for this bridge. The present
structure can be utilized for traffic,
while the new one is unde construc-
ton, officials said. 1t will take year
for the new plans to be drawn, they
explained.
n