Evening star., 1941-04-20

A mile long underground garage
in the Mali area, stretching from
Second to Fourteenth streets. where
Government workers could park
their automobiles freea was advo-
Gated last night by Chairman
Schultz of the Streets and Traffic
Subcommittee of the House District
Committee.
"The parking problem in Wash
ington is becoming more intensified
every day" he declared Govern
ment workers are chiefly the ones
who have to drive around looking
for a place to park their cars.
Sometimes they are late for work
due to the inability to find place
to leave their cars. When the Gov
ernment erected all of the fine
buildings along Constitution ave-
nue., it failed to provide parking
space for the cars of the employees.
It is not too late now.
"The entire Mall area would
make an ideal place for parking.
I don't mean that the beauty OF
the Mall should be destroyed by
thousands of parked cars, but ar
rangements could be made to place
them underground. South Ameri-
can cities have underground park
ing places and we can do 1t here.
No Buildings to Raze.
Representative Schultz said the
cost of such a garage would not
be "prohibitive" since there are no
buildings in the area that would
have to be razed. -.
"A steam shovel and a gang OF
laborers can 60 through the entire
section and provide these under
ground garages at a minimum OF
cost he declared
Since most of the Federal build
ings line Constitution avenue which
faces the Mall from the north, Mr..
Schultz said the underground park
ing spaces there would be conven-
lent for the Government workers
who drive to work.
In line with Mr. Schulte's sug-
gestion, it was recalled last night
tina. the underground garages for
parking Government employees cars
has been considered several times
by various Federal officials. Each
time it has come up, however, 1t
has been rejected as economically
not feasible because of heavy costs.
One of the most comprehensive
stlloies was undertaken by a COM
mercial firm under a Government
contract. The firm was known as
National Garages, Inc, of Detroit.
1t surveyed the situation in 1881,
and submitted report to the Treas
ury Department, which at the time
said solution of the problem was
up to Congress.
Details Never Made Public.
Details of the report never were
made public but it was learned at
the time that it recommended both
underground garages and parking
buildings above ground.
At one time there was plan
under consideration to build huge
underground parking garage be-
meath the big Grand Plaza in the
heart of the Federal triangle. It
would be bounded by the Commerce
Department on Fourteenth street,
the Labor Department, Interstate
Commerce Commission, Post once
Department, Farm Credit Admin
istration, and District Building. The
study even went so far as.to get
estimates of cost, and how much
might be expected from a Federal
employe per month as rent for
parking his car underground. The
plan was to dig out the whole area,
install the garage with fiat roof,
put soil back on top of it and then
landscape the entire plaza in a
plan befitting surrounding build
inss. All such plans were aban-
doned as too costly for the good
to be derived.
From an engineering point OF
view the task is regarded as expen-
siye, but not impossible. Water
proofing Is one Of the big factors
to be faced In construction OF any