Evening star., 1940-01-04
Two Of Structures
Would Be Located
On East Capitol
New Home for 6. A. O.
To Cost $9,850,000
Included in List
By HAROLD b. ROGERS.


trend out East Capitol street, Presi-
dent Roosevelt today recommended
to Congress in his budget message
construction of six new structures
and continuation of several others
under way here.
The eastward trend was indicated
In these two projects:
A new $3,550,000 Federal office
building-tenant unassigned as yet
ION land adjacent to East Capitol
street, in the vicinity of Lincoln
Park"
A new Army Medical Library and
Museum Building, previously au-
thorized, "on site on East Capitol
street, adjacent to the Congressional
Library Group"
S9,850,O0 G. A. O. Building.
Other buildings recommended:
New General Accounting Office, to
cost $9s50 900, on part of the square
bounded by G and H, Fourth and
Fifth streets NV, directly north of
the old Pension Office, now head
quarters of the General Accounting
Office.
New west central heating plant,
$3,900,000, on suitable site to be
selected in the Northwest section
probably in general area south Of K
street, not far east of Rock Creek
and Potomac parkway and north OF
Constitution avenue.
State Department annex site,
somewhere in the square bounded
by Pennsylvania avenue, Jackson
place, Seventeenth street and H
atreet.
-. addition to the Bureau of Eco
nonics of the Department of Agri-
culture, east of Twelfth street be-
tween C and D streets, to cost
$1,60o,oOO.
Would Purchase Other Sites.
Among other projects, the Presi-
dent recommended appropriation
of ST 100000 for acquisition of prop
erty" in the District of Columbia, in
sites previously designated by law
for eventual purchase by the Gov
ernment. This was believed de-
signed to allow early purchase of
sites needed later, in order to pro-
vide Government ownership before
extensive new construction raised
values there.
Continuation of progress was rec
commended on the Social Security
and Railroad Retirement Buildings,
the Census Building in Southwest
Washington and the War Depart
ment project near the old Naval
Hospital The Navy Medical Center
on the Rockville pike beyond Be-
thesda also is to be pushed for
ward
This comprehensive Federal build
ing program, it was believed, came
as an outgroWth of a recent an
nouncement that a special commit
tee of District and Federal officials
had launched a study of proposed
public works for the National Capital
with view to getting up priority
list for the next 10 years.
Although there was nothing in the
budget message directly to tie up the
recent committee announcement
with the recommendations in the
budget message, it was believed that
the new program may have been
part of the priority list, selected by
the committee under the sponsorship
of the National Capital Park and
Planning Commission.
In Line With Recommendations.
This would be in line with the rec
concentrations which have been
made for some time by the planning
commission for more comprehen-
sive development of the public area
eastward on the line of East Capitol
street. Already a big development
Is planned there, with funds now in
hand for a big armory not far from
Kingman Lake In the area also
would be sports field amphitheater,
parade ground and space for other
public activities. A stadium also is
proposed.
In addition to construction rec
concentrations in the budget there is
also pending in Congress bill to
authorize construction of new Navy
Department building on site some
where between Constitution avenue,
F. street, Twenty third street and the
Potomac River. The bill would au-
thorize S23,446,O 900 for such struc-
ture.
If Congress authorize this. great
national defense center would arise
on the banks of the Potomac. with
the Navy Department closest the
Potomac River, and the War De-
partment not far away.
Already most of the site for the
War Department has been pur-
chased in the area bounded by
Twenty first, Twenty third, c and E
> streets NV, for the building for
which Congress has authorized ex-
penditure of $10815,000. To con-
tinue work on this structure the
budget recommends another appro-
priation of S2,OOO,OOO for 194l, COM
pared to the $5,0O0000 made avail
able last year Plans are under way,
and it is expected that the Public
Buildings Administrations of the
Federal Works Agency may be able
to let a contract some time IN the
spring for construction.
The new Federal Once Building.
to be located in the vicinity of
Lincoln Park would be designed to
house some undesignated agency
now in rented quarters. 1t is pro-
posed to appropriate Sl,75000O to
start the project in 1941.
Museum Authorized in 1898.
The Army Medical Library and
Museum Building, which was au-
thorized by Congress in 1888, would
be erected under supervision of the
Federal Works Agency, which. with
cooperation of the War Department
would select the architect by compe-
tition. For starting this project
100000 is proposed.
Much interest centers in the pro-
posed new General Accounting
Office by reason of the fact that this