Evening star., 1940-10-18
Arlington Site
is Chosen for
u. ). Building
PIonning Commission
To Consider Designs
For Two Today

As the National Capital Park and
Planning Commission prepared to-
day to consider plans for two new
wartime-type general Government
office buildings, the Public Buildings
Administration announced site
already has been chosen for one OF
them.
The Buildings Administration,
which presented plans for new
buildings to the commission today,
said one would be placed on 18
acres Of land at the northwest cor
ner of North Arlington Ridge road
and Columbia pike in Arlington
County.
The building, appropriated for in
the last few weeks, will cost So, 3,200,-
900 and will be similar to the present
Navy and Munitions Buildings. 1t
will be of steel and reinforced con-
crete and will have three stories
and seven wings. 1t will be walk
up," without elevators. 1t is ex-
pected to accommodate 5000 Gov
eminent employees and likely will be
used by the Navy for the time being,
buildings officials said. Bids for its
construction probably will be asked
soon, they added.
Others Being Planned.
The structure represents only one
of several such wartime-type build
ings which likely will be built to ac-
commodate the country's defense
workers. A like amount of money
has been appropriated for a similar
building. which probably will be
placed in the District. Plans for
this second building, as well as those
for a new General Accounting Office
Building, to be placed Immediately
north Of the old Pension Office
Building, now occupied by G. A. O.;
west central heating plant and an
additional wing to be placed on the
east end of the Navy Department
Building, also were considered today
by the Planning Commission.
The Public Buildings Administra-
ton now is attempting to find site
for the second general Office build
ing. This was substituted by Con-
gress for a far more expensive
monumental-type general Office
building which was to have been
placed on Lincoln Park in East
Washington.
Buildings officials said today every
effort is being made not to repeat
what happened during the World
War, when cheap stucco structures
were put up on the Mall and in
other central locations, thereby
creating an eyesore which it took
years to eradicate. The two build
ings contemplated will not, they
emphasized, be of the cheap stucco
type, but will be similar to the
present Navy and Munitions Build
ings and to the building now being
used by the Census Bureau
Southwest Under Consideration.
Southwest Washington was men,
toned by one official as a likely
place for the second of the two
buildings.
Construction of a new General
Accounting Office Building, it was
pointed out by planning officials
struction of new District Court
for the District of Columbia on
the site of the old Pension Office.
Due to field trip, during which
members of the Planning Comis-
sion yesterday visited present and
proposed projects of the District
Alley Dwelling Authority, the COM
mission yesterday did not have an
opportunity to consider the new
buildings as originally planned.
Before leaving on the field trip
the commission approved a num-
Der of contracts for land purchases
which would add to the citys
playground, park and parkway sys-
tenn and took under advisement a
survey made by the Department
of Vehicles and Traffic of the
truck traffic load of Constitution
and Virginia avenues. The COM
mission announced no conclusions
Loe