Evening star., 1940-02-16
Sports Center
Plans 0. K. d by
Commission
D. G. Heads and
Park Service
To Weigh Setup


To Weigh Setup
Revised plans for the huge sports
center proposed for the end of East
Capitol street today were approved
by the National Capital Park
and Planning Commission at the
=. second session of its monthly meet
ing.
Thomas S. Settle, commission
secretary, said certain details OF the
plans have yet to be discussed with
District Commissioners and the Ma
tional Park Service.
Revisions, which have been made
In the original plan drawn up by
Francis P. Sullivan and Bremen w.
Pond, consulting architects, center
mainly around the location and ele-
vation of the proposed stadium.
Because the commission through
the years has been unable to get
money enough to buy the amount of
land originally wanted for the CEN
ter before real estate development
sent prices soaring, the original site
for the stadium has been changed
to point opposite the new District
National Guard Armory on the
north side of East Capitol street.
The sports center building, orig
inally planned as a running mate
for the armory, evidently has been
= abandoned and plans for the armory
have been drawn up to include in
door sports facilities.
May Sink Floor.
To build stadium as high as
that planned originally would over
shadow the armory if placed across
the street from it. Therefore the
stadium plan has been changed and
1t is proposed to sink the floor of
the stadium some 80 feet below the
level OF the street. This will bring
the top of the structure flush with
the facade Of the new arnaory.
Rear Admiral Ben Moreell, presi-
dent OF the Army and Navy Club.
this morning presented a plan for a
new clubhouse or a branch club
house to be placed somewhere near
the old Naval Hospital" in the tract
to be occupied by the new War and
Navy Departments. Mr.. Settle, who
Is spokesman for the commission.
announced the plans were being
submitted to the commission to
make sure the proposed club build
ing fitted into the general plan for
the national defense section of the
Federal building area.
The commission today authorized
Its staff to cooperate with the Vir-
ginia State Planning Board in seek
ing sponsorship in the Virginia Gen.
eral Assembling for legislation requir-
ing all petitions to rezone property
throughout the State to be pre-
sented to local planning agencies
before final action is taken.
In another action today, the COM
mission included in land planned
for the Federal Government of the
future the west half of the block
bounded by jackson place, Seven
teenth street, Pennsylvania avenue
and H street NV, where the old
Court of Claims Building now stands.
The tract is slated for the site of
State Department annex, requested
by President Roosevelt in the 1941
budget.
Plans for District Grocery Stores
warehouse, to be placed on c street
S.W., near the new Railroad Re-
tirement Board Building, also we're
considered by the commission today
with reference to setback from the
street and general space relation
ship.
Program to Be Received.
Today the Planning Commission
also was to receive formally the
10 to is year program for the fu-
ture development of Washington
outlined at the recent dinner of
the Committee of 100 on the Fed
eral City in honor of the planners.
After announcing several 1mpor-
tant land acquisitions, adding ma
terially to the Capital City's park,
parkway and playground system,
the commission yesterday approved
appraisals made by its staff of four
OF the seven units planned for the
George Washington Memorial Park
way between the District line and
Great Falls. The commission au-
thorized its staff to start negotiat-
ing contracts Immediately with
property holders in the area. Ap-
praisals have not been completed
on the other three units.
The commission now has in hand
$500, 900 for the purchase of land in
this section, the first that will be
bought for the Maryland section Of
the parkway.
The commission yesterday ap-
proved In principle the proposal of
the zoning Advisory Council to re-
quire off-street parking facilities
for all future buildings In the Dis
trtct housing more than one fam
lily. However, the planners an
nounced they had not come to a
decision as to whether they should
back so drastic a proposal. The
commission also considered various
schemes for providing large-scale
public parking lots throughout the
city and instructed its staff to pre-
pare technical studies on both types
OF parking proposals.
The commission yesterday also
considered plans for the South Lee
boulevard connection, which is to
lead to Arlington Memorial Bridge
around the south side of Arlington
National Cemetery. Original plans
for this connection have been
altered, Mr.. Settle said, because
troops from Fort Washington are
stationed permanently in the SOUTH
east corner of the United States