Evening star., 1938-09-01
CONTRACT. SIGNED
OPENING WAY FOR
GALL|NGER WORK
$575,00O Ward Building
Among Projects Listed
in Program.
ACCORD ALSO COVERS
FIRE ALARM STRUCTURE
Commissioners and P.W.A. Heads
Agree on $1,075,0O0 Fund
for District Jobs.

Formal contracts were entered into
today by the District Commissioners
and the Public Works Administration
for sl,o75,ooo for the municipal P. w.
A. program. The agreements covered
new additions to Gallnger Hospital
and construction of a new fire alarm
headquarters, just south of Mcmillan
Reservoir
The Gallinger additions will permit
the razing Of the ancient wooden struc-
ture now used to house tuberculosis
patlents. which has been the subject of
widespread criticism in and out of
Congress in the last year.
The agreement calls for the adj
vance OF s575000 for the construction
| OF new ward building containing 2oo
beds, estimated to cost s420 900; an
enlargement of the nurses home at an
estimated cost of $4,000, and con-
structlon OF new District morgue. on
tne Ialllnger property, at an estimated
cost OF $4,000, to take the place of the
OLD structure in Southwest WASHING.
ION, which is scheduled to be razed in
connection with Improvements of the
water front.
| Annual InstaIIments.
Ine P. w. A. stipulated that the
Gallinger Improvements must be start.
ed within 81 weeks and he comnletad
oy June 81. 1910. OF the total advance
OF s575, 900, the District must repav
% per cent with interest at 4 Der cent
IN annual installments running from
/ l94l TO 1865.
A sum of $500, ,000fwill be advanced
1or the new fire alarm Headquarters
OF which the District will repay s.
| per cent on the same terms as the
other P. w. A. contract. Construction
must be started within II weeks and
finished by June 30, 1910. This de-
Velopment will take the place of the
hre alarm headquarters in the District
Building, which is inadequate and
4 which will have to be moved eventually
anyway when the Federal Government
takes over or RACES the District Build
ing. The site in Mcmillan Park south
J OF the reservoir was selected first be-
cause 1t is much nearer the geo
graphical center of the District than
the new Municipal Center site, and
second because the available property
there already is in Government owner
ship.
Engineer officials Of the District to-
day discounted fears voiced by the
Health Department that the con-
structlon of the new Municipal Center,
which is scheduled to be started soon,
would force the closing of the District
tuberculosis clinic at 30l c street NV
and the child hygiene and maternal
welfare station at 230 Third street
NV. which are housed in old build
lnes standing at the extreme end of the
Municipal Center site.
Removal Not Necessary.
Since these remaining buildings on
the center site extend less than 100 feet
back from Third street, engineers said,
1t will not be necessary to remove them
When construction of the new Mu-
nicipal Building is started. Other
/ oAiSihAo Cdid blldG III De
found desirable later to raze these
buildings, Congress could be asked
early at the next session to provide
rent for quarters elsewhere or to au-
thorlze the District to place them in
! some Government-owned building.
The old buildings on Third street
Will, OF course, be razed eventually
and the property Handicapped to Sc.
of the new Municipal Building. In
! this connection, it was revealed that
the District is considering erecting at
either end of the Municipal Center
Building provisions for the garasing
| or parking of 800 cars, partly for the
use of District officials and partly for
the public having to do business With
municipal departments. This portion
of the plan is not yet settled Should
it be determined to keep John Mar
| shall place open and divide the new
Municipal Building into two sections,
the separate structures would be To-
Gated further east and west than orig
| inally planned and some OF the space
contemplated for parking facilities
would be lost.