Evening star., 1938-07-10
SOUTHWEST AREA
DEVELOPMENT TO
START THIS WEEK
Land to Be Acquired for Rail
Retirement and Security
Buildings.
PROGRAM Is DESIGNED
TO RELIEVE TRAFFIC
It Also Proposes to Open Cheaper
Homes for Lower.Salaried
Federal Employees.
BY WILL P. KENNEDY.

BY WILL P. KENNEDY.
This week will see the start on the
Federal Government long-promised
program for developing the Southwest
section, by acquisition of the site for
two buildings for the Social Security
and Railroad Retirement Boards. This
is especially important because it con-
templates traffic relief from the Mall
Triangle and congested Northwest sec
ton, and proposes to open up cheaper
homes for lower-salaried Government
employees. It also will clean up a
shabby section of the city
Congress appropriated $4,000, 900 to
start work on these buildings at an
estimated cost of $l4,25O,0 the site
designated being two squares Deep
facing on independence avenue and
the Mall, between Third and Fourth
and D streets. This site had previously
been reserved" for a new home for
the General Accounting Once. It Is
directly across the Mall from the site
designated by the President for the
new Auditorium. to face Constitution
avenue, between Third and Fourth
streets NV.
The actual purchase of the private
property in these two squares in the
Southwest. where the Government al
ready owns some property, had to be
delayed because the law requires
formal approval of the site BY the
Secretary of the Interior. The draw
ing Of plans for the buildings also has
been delayed because extensive engi-
neering studies had to be made and
then the approval of the Co-ordinatine
Board and from the National Capital
Park and Planning Commission and
the Commission of Fine Arts is neces-
sary. 1t Is confidently expected that
these preliminaries can be worked out.
50 that the project can be placed on
the market for bids before the close
OF the year. The contract could be let
IN the spring. and the buildings could
be ready for occupancy in about two
years.
Development Planned.
Outside Of the Procurement Division
sulldlng, at Seventh and D streets
o'W, which is more of modern factory
type construction, the social security
buildings are the first of number of
government structures to be located in
tne southwest section of Washington.
The National Capital Park and plan.
nlng Commission has been making ex-
tensive studies OF the entire area nre.
limlnary to adopting a comprehensive
development program.
Designedly. these buildings. in which
upwards OF 5000 persons will be ON.
pioyed, have been located with the
purpose to divert heavy load of
tramc from the already over-conpested
Mall Triangle and Northwest section.
along Third street and independence
avenue northward and eastward. It
was also contemplated that these en-
ployes to be located there, mostly in
the low-salaried class, will be en-
couraged to seek homes in the north
east, southeast and southwest Sec
lions, where property costs, real estate
taxes and rental charges are not so
nigh. 1t is foreseen that this will
further relieve traffic by spreading
out the population and will assist in
building up long neglected sections of
the Capital and its cnvirons in nearby
Maryland.
Street Widening Started.
Tne start has been made on WIDEN
Ing Independence avenue at the De-
partment Of Agriculture buildings.
from Fourteenth street. to correspond
with the width Of Constitution avenue.
This widening will be carried through
to South Capitol street. Plans for the
Social Security Building have been
held up until the new curb lines and
set-backs along the widened Inde-
pendence avenue have been determ-
1ned. Careful engineering studies are
being made regarding pile founda-
tions, the same as for the Mall Tri-
angle buildings, because the new struc-
cures are to be erected on the route
OF the old Tiber Greek; other studies
are being made for relocation OF
sewers. water. gas and electric mains.
Another broad traffic artery is to be
provided directly from the new build
ing along the route of the old canal.
This will have one-way lanes on either
side of a central parkway. It will
carry traffic along Canal street and
Virginia avenue eastward to the new
Pennsylvania avenue and Anacostia
bridges. Canal street is being widened,
:urbing placed. resurfaced and the
central parkway set out with shrub
berry by the Botanic Garden. Next
year. Representative Louis Rabaut,
Democrat, of Michigan. who will be
chairman Of the subcommittee in
charge Of the legislative appropriation
bill, promises that funds will be pro-
vided for removal Of the old Botanic
Garden greenhouses, between Mary
land and Independence avenues, Sec
ond and Third streets, and q battery
Of new greenhouses erected at Poplar
Point, Anacostia. This will permit
opening the neck of the bottle" for
the new trafic artery by cutting