Evening star., 1937-09-04
BUILDING GAINS
DESPITE DROP IN
HOME PERMITS
$3,417,515 August Figure
for All Construction
Shows Increase.
ONLY 112 ONE-FAMILY
RESIDENCES AUTHORIZED
40 Apartment Houses, With 627
Units, Help Put Total
Above July.
BY JAMES Y. NEWTON.

Though valuation of all private
building operations in Washington
during August showed an increase of
nearly a half million dollars over
August, 1886, there was sharp de-
cline in permits for one-family dwell
ings, it was revealed today in the
monthly report of Building Inspector
John w. Oehmann.
All types of buildings for which per-
mits were issued in August had val
uation Of $3,417,515, as compared with
a total of $685. ,l8O registered in
the corresponding month last year.
Likewise, the August figure was almost
= million dollars larger than that of
July this year
While permits for new apartments
showed huge gains over both the pre-
ceding month this year and August,
1886, one-family dwellings dropped
far below totals for the two compare
BILE months. Last month permits were
approved for 1l2 such structures, hav-
ing a valuation of $784,O75 In Au-
gust last year total of 189 one-family
dwellings,, valued at $1,198,4 400, were
included in the list of permits, and
las were approved in July, 1887 VAL
uation of additions, alterations and
repairs to existing structures last
month was only about half that of
the corresponding month of 1886.
40 Apartment Buildings.
Apartment construction in August
this year was valued at S1,218, 10000.
Applications for erection of 40 build
ings, with a capacity of 627 families,
were approved Apartment buildings
valued at s965, 900, capable of housing
1894 families, were included in the
list of permits for August, 1886 In
July Of this year new apartments pro-
vided for only 176 families.
Meanwhile real estate brokers
throughout the city report demand
for one-family dwellings has IT,
creased considerably since the slump
of recent months. Houses were re-
ported as selling more freely than
at any time since last Spring The
outlook was considered extremely IA
vorable for an active market this
Fall
Brokers were urging prospective
home purchasers to buy now" as a
rise in values and in the cost of
construction is anticipated by next
year.
Schools Swell Figures.
The total valuation of building in
August was sWelled considerably by
the inclusion of permits for erection
of two private school buildings val
ued at S475,OO0 A permit for erec-
ton of a new Sl50,00O boys club
building also was included. Com
mercial construction in August
amounted to s177OO0 All of these
figures are well above totals for
comparable months.
Construction in Northeast Wash
tngton reached the highest point IN
decade with the inclusion among
August permits Of the huge Brent
wood Village housing project, which
is being built with private capital
and mortgage insurance by the Fed
eral Housing Administration New
building in August by sections of the
city is as follows: Northwest, ST.
531,75O; Northeast, $1.179,7OO; South
east, s358,375, and Southwest, $751;
500. Valuation of additions, altera-
tions and repairs by sections: North
west. Sl80,96O; Northeast, s64,095:
Southeast, $l3,920, and Southwest,
$1.225.