Evening star., 1939-03-11
Nearby Areas
Top Capital in
Home BUILDING
TotoI for Year Is
Larger for First
Time in History
By JAMES Y. NEWTON.

For the first time IN the city's
history there was more residential
building last year in nearby Sec
tions of Virginia and Maryland
than there was in the District, &C
coIding to survey of construc-
ton in the metropolitan area re-
ported today by the Bureau Of La
bor Statistics.
Illustrating the great growth of
the Capitals suburban areas, the
bureau announced that Sc per cent
of the volume of residential building
In this area for 1888 was located
outside the District. The sections
which have built up tremendously
in the last few years include Mont
gomery and Prince Georges Coun-
ties in Maryland, Arlington and
Fairfax Counties and the City OF
Alexandria in Virginia.
The tiny county of Arlington alone
had more than half as much res
idential construction as the Dis
trict of Columbia and reported al
most 25 per cent of the total actlv-
ity in this type of building for the
entire metropolitan section.
19,SO1 Units in 2 Years.
Dwelling space sufficient to house
more than $4,000 persons was pro-
Vided in new construction in the
metropolitan area during the last
two years. In this peri,d total
of 19,8Ol family units have been
erected. Last year witnessed erec-
ton of $500 dwelling units in one
family houses, two-family houses
and apartments. This figure was COL
less than the total for 1887
Labor Department figures show
that 4,275 of the dwelling units
built in the area last year were in
the District. This is at the rate OF
88 family dwelling units for every
10000 inhabitants in the District.
In the suburban area permits were
issued for 5,325 units, or at the
rate of 2S7 per 10000 population.
Of the dwelling units provided
within the District, .,159, or 81 per
cent, were in apartment houses and
2,116, or 40 per cent in one-famlly
dwellings. In contrast, in the area
outside the District, 3,847, or u
per cent, were in one-family dwell
ings and only 1901, or Is per cent,
in apartment touses. The remain
der was in two-family dwellings.
SSs,0O0,OOO in Permits.
The value of all types of build
ings, including Government actlv-
ity, for which permits were ap-
proved in the metropolitan area in
1888 amounted to nearly $4,000 900,
an increase of nearly $13,000,000 as
compared with 1887. The 1888 ex-
penditures were divided as fol-
lows: s3e 1888 900, or 4S per cent, for
new residential buildings; $685.
$4,000, or "A per cent, for new non
residential buildings, and S6,329,O 9,O0O,
or 8 per cent, for additions, altera-
tions and repairs.
That portion of the metropolitan
area outside the District did not fare
so we'll by comparison in non-resl-
dental construction last year, as
only 81 per cent of that total was
in the counties. In the case OF
additions, alterations and repairs.
slightly more than 20 per cent was
for changes to buildings in the
suburban area. A considerable por-
ton of the non-residential con-
struction in the District was for
Government buildings.
All types of building in the Dis
trict last year was valued at SSH
SIT ,522. Arlington County was in
second place with s10,182,723, Mont
eomery County third with $8,l37, ,218,
Prince Georges next with s7806, 1924
and then Alexandria with ,O49
and Fairfax County with S2,024,528