Evening star., 1938-07-27
PLANNING GROUP
TO 0SCAN DISTRICT
BUILDING AGENDA
Three-Day Session to Open
Tomorrow on $56,289,370
Public Program.
SECURITY STRUCTURE
PLANS TO BE STUDIED
Naval Medical Center, City's
Works Projects and Road
Changes to Come Up.

AS result of the appropriation by
Congress during its last session of a
total of $56,289,37O for construction
projects in the District and nearby
Maryland and Virginia, one of the
largest programs in many months
confronts the National Capital Park
and Planning Commission and the
Commission of Fine Arts during a
joint three-day meeting beginning to-
| morrow.
At a separate session tomorrow
morning the Planning Commission
will consider details of the public
buildings program, including both
Federal and District projects. Chief
| among the new Federal projects will
be the new Social Security Building,
with an authorized cost of $14,250 900,
| and the new War Department Build
ing. to cost Sl0,8l5,OO0.
The commission will have before it
plans for the Social Security Building
uAAN saw w AAOAlV oAl Vic WALL III dll
area bounded by Third and Fourth
streets, Independence avenue and D
street S.W. Development of this site
is regarded as of primary importance
in connection with the expansion of
the Federal building program into
the Southwest section of the city,
with anticipated beneficial effects on
both housing ard traffic conditions.
Naval Medical Center Plans.
The commission will give hearing
to Rear Admiral P. S. Rossiter, chief
of the Naval Bureau of Medicine and
Surgery. who will present preliminary
plans for the new Naval Medical
Center, to be constructed on a site
just approved by President Roosevelt
on the Rockville pike just north of
Bethesda, Md.
The District public works program
also will be considered at the morn
ing session tomorrow. A total of Sl8,-
100000 from P. w. A. funds has been
authorized in grants and loans. and
$10000,000 has been earmarked for the
District of Columbia Alley Dwelling
Authority for slum clearance and
low-cost housing from the funds of
the United States Housing Authority.
Three initial p w. A. projects SO
far authorized will be considered.
These are the long-sought 300-bed
medical building at Gallinger Mu-
nicipal Hospital, to cost $750,000; a
three-story Municipal Court Building,
for which $1,500000 was granted, and
a four STORY Juvenile Court Building,
at cost of $550,00G.
New Bridge Arch.
Tomorrow afteroon the two COM
missions will meet in joint session to
consider plans for the new District
Municipal Center, the Thomas Jeffer-
son Memorial the general public
buildings program and the conStruc-
ton of a new arch at the west end
of Key Bridge to underpass the river
side boulevard OF the new George
Washington Memorial Parkway.
The commissions also will consid-
er final details of the plans for the
controversial Thomas Jefferson Me-
mortal site and building plan. To
start work on the authorized $3,000,000
memorial an initial appropriation of
$500,000 is available
Friday morning the Park and Plan
| ming Commission will consider local
land purchase items, chiefly for small
er playground and park sites. One
of the most important park purchase
projects under consideration is in the
Anacostia River Valley in Prince
Georges County, first major unit in
the proposed District-Baltimore Park
way, which is expected eventually to
become one of the major eastern ap-
proaches to the National Capital.
Street Changes.
Friday afternoon a number of Dis
tract planning matters are to be con-
sidered, among them a number OF
street and highway changes, the Fort
Drive project, zoning regulations and
commission representation on the
zoning Advisory Council. The COM
mission also will include number Of
matters involving cooperation with
the Maryland Park and Planning
Commission in connection with park
DEVELOPMENTS in the local area.
Saturdays session will be devoted
to consideration of the George WASH
ington Parkway development. The
final step toward actual construction
of the parkway was taken this week
with the award of an $89,688 con-
tract to Corson g. Gruman Co. for
construction of double boulevard,
bride paths and trails between Co.
lumbia Island and Rosslyn.
The new Key Bridge span will per-
init extension OF the boulevard up the
Potomac from Rosslyn into the pro-
posed second unit Of the parkway,
extending to and up Spout Run VAL
ley, providing vital new traffic artery
into Virginia.
The parkway project also will tie
in with the acquisition and develop
ment of the Chesapeake & Ohio
Canal right of way.
|Star Carriers