Evening star., 1940-05-23
Land Is Bought
For Midcity
Playground
Other Purchases
Announced by
Planning Board


nounced the purchase of most of
the land needed for the long sought
Midcity Playground and a number
Of other purchases for Washing
tons playground, park and parkway
system, including 24-room, 10-bath
house built by the late Mrs. John
B. Henderson at the corner of Six
teenth and Lamont streets NV.
The Midcity Playground pur-
chases have been made in the block
bounded by o, P and Fifth streets
and New Jersey avenue NV. Citi-
zens groups in the central portion
OF Washington have sought such
a play area for many years. 1t will
serve the colored population in the
surrounding congested area.
The house at Sixteenth and La
mont streets was originally built by
Mrs. Henderson as an embassy,
according to Norman C. Brown, the
commissions associate land pur-
chasing officer and appraiser. The
land it occupies represents an ad-
dition to the Columbia Heights
Recreation Center, purchases for
which are nearing completion at
the present time.
House May Be Used.
It has not been decided, as yet, Mr..
Brown said, whether to demolish
the large home or whether, in view
of its exceptional size and expensive
construction, to retain it for some
Government use, possibly a COM
munity center building Until de-
cision is reached by Park and Play
ground officials, the present ten
nants will be permitted to continue
IN occupancy on a monthly tenancy
agreement.
The commission announced it had
approved the condemnation award
which permits purchase of an i'm
portant connection of the Fort Drive
at Connecticut avenue and Fessen-
den street NV.
The commission also announced
purchase of three more acres of
ground at Thirteenth and Van Buren
streets NV, just south of Walter
Reed Hospital, for a playground.
This acquisition, Mr.. Brown said, Is
part of comprehensive plan which
provides for new District school
and play area combined. The Dis
trict has the land for the school,
Immediately north of the play
ground, under contract at the pres
ent time.
Addition to Park.
Other purchases announced by
the commission add to Fort Dupont
Park and Northeast Center at Forty
ninth and Washington streets.
A number of other projects are
on the agenda for the planners two
day session
Among these are revised plans for
the proposed Scott Circle underpass
and a grade separation proposed for
the intersection of Fourteenth street
and Maine avenue SW., proposed
revisions of the coming map of the
District and proposed changes in
the zoning regulations, proposals to
widen Massachusetts, avenue be-
tween Wisconsin avenue and Rock
Greek Park NV, construction of
boat and recreation house on the
site of the Francis Scott Key house
just above Key Bridge in George
town and number of other
projects.
Would Preserve Park Reservations.
John Nolen, jr., the commissions
director of planning, said yesterday
that Capt. H. c. Whitehurst, Dis
trict director of highways, has re-
vised plans for the Scott Circle un-
derpass so as not to encroach on
the Scott, Webster and Hahnemann
park reservations. Previous plans,
he said, had whitfield these reser-
vations down to point where their
park memorial character was en-
dangered.
Capt. Whitehurst not only has
made changes in the. Fourteenth
and Maine grade separation plan
since the last planning commission
meeting, Mr.. Nolen said, but has
prepared an alternate plan in addi-
ton. Both will be considered.
Mr.. Nolen said revisions to the
zoning map and regulations are in
preliminary stage. 1t has been
proposed for some time, he said, to
widen Massachusetts, avenue be-
tween Wisconsin avenue and Rock
Creek Park because of the large
amount of traffic it bears. 4
This afternoon the commission
was to make a field trip to the new
national airport at Gravelly Point,
the Mount Vernon Memorial High
way, the new Rosslyn Plaza at the
Virginia end of Key Bridge and
the Georgetown end of the bridge
where the plaza exists. Mr.. Nolen
said the commission is disturbed
over the type of development which
is growing up there.