Evening star., 1939-07-16
Present Works
Rival BUILDING
Of Triangle
Public Library and
Center Added to
Many Projects
By HAROLD b. ROGERS.


are under way in building pro-
gram which bids fair to rival the
activity in the great Federal
Triangle in downtown Washington
in its busiest days.
Because these projects now are
| scattered, they attract less con-
centrated public notice than the
triangle did few years ago when
many monumental structures were
going up within few years between
Pennsylvania avenue, Constitution
avenue and Fourteenth street NV.
The Federal Government is on
the verge of huge construction
program here. Many projects are
under way and others are on the
future list. They include the new
Federal Security Agency and Rail-
road Retirement Board Bureau of
the Census, War Department,
Thomas Jefferson Memorial, Navy
Department., Gravelly Point Air
port and others.
The District has obtained two
new projects in the 1910 supply
bill-the beginning of a new public
library in the Municipal Center area
and new National Guard Armory
at the end of East Capitol street.
Larger Projects.
Despite the loss of several school
projects from the supply bill. signed
yesterday by the President, the Dis
trict still has some schools and ad-
ditions under way. But it is going
forward with much larger projects
such as the municipal center and
others such as the Fire Alarm
Headquarters Building, hospital ad-
ditions, Jail, morgue and sewer pro-
gram.
OF quasi-governmental status, the
great National Gallery of Art, which
is the gift of the late Andrew w.
Mellon, former Secretary of the
Treasury, is rising on the Mall,
while a site directly south of it on
the Mall has been picked for the new
Smithsonian Gallery of Art, for
which funds are asked.
Adding to the sum total of build
ing projects here the Alley Dwell
ing Authority is proceeding with a
SIS 100000 program to displace
slums, with earmarked funds from
the United States Housing Au-
thority.
The Federal Governments new
est job now under way is that origi-
nally designated for the Social Sc
curity and Railroad Retirement
Boards. Contract has been let and
excavation is we'll under way in an
open space in the center of the site
bounded by Third and Fourth
streets and Independence avenue.
but many buildings on the area,
which extends southwark to D
street, still are standing. They
are being torn down rapidly to
make room for the steam shovels.
The Social Security Board has been
absorbed in the new Federal Sc
curity Agency. which will have
some of It's offices on this site.
In the Southwest area nearby.
bounded by Second and Third
streets, Virginia avenue and D
street S.W. work is expected to
begin soon on the new General Fed
eral Office Building, needed by the
Bureau of the Census for the gigan-
tic job of taking the 1910 census.
McCloskey & Co. is low bidder
for this job at s2344000. and be-
cause Of its successful construction
of other Government buildings here.
is expected to be awarded the con-
tract soon and begin work.
For the War Department, which
is to be erected on the site in
the so-called northwest rectangle,
bounded by Twenty-first. Twenty
third, c and E streets NV, negoti-
ations are under way for purchase
of the remainder of the area needed
for the first unit. Much of the
ground has been acquired, but still
to be bought are two big apartments,
the Riverside, at Twenty-second
street and New York avenue, and
the Boulevard, on New York avenue
between Twenty-first and Twenty
second streets. Congress has
authorized $10,815 900 for purchase
of the entire site and construction
of the first unit. With funds already
in hand, the Federal Works Agency
expects to be able to let the first
contract by october l.
Planning the new Navy Depart
ment. which is to be located on a
site between Constitution avenue.
F street, Twenty third street and
the Potomac River NV, the Fed
eral Works Agency was asked yes
terday by the National Capital Park
and Planning Commission to pre-
pare another plan for the structure
In this connection consideration
has been given by officials for
changing the proposed location of
four famous old ships Of the Navy
from a post in the Potomac River
west of the Navy Department Build
ing to some place in a private
ocean" of their own near the
! Potomac River terminus of Con-
stitution avenue. The bill author
izing $23, ,466 900 for the Navy De-
partment is pending in Congress.
Art Gallery Progressing.
The National Gallery of Art is
making rapid progress for such a
monumental structure of marble.
Outstanding feature OF It's conStruc-
tion noW is the dome, which is TAX
ing shape in it's tentative form. Sup
ports for the marble dome are being
completed, and the stone will be laid
over the top of these supports. Be-
meath the dome an unusual lighting
feature will supply soft light to the
space below. The gallery will be
finished late in 1910.
On the Tidal Basin foundations
are being laid for the memorial to
Thomas jefferson, which is to rise
on the south bank.
The Gravelly Point Airport prof.
ect has made such progress that
the fill Is nearly one-third COM
pleted.
On the water front on the Wash
mgton Channel Army engineers
have scheduled the first unit of the
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