Evening star., 1942-06-27
Home Seekers
Are Attracted
To Anacostia
Southwest Section
Comes to Attention
Of Builders
BY FRED II. MORHART, Jr.

The AnacoStia section in South
west Washington is coming to no.
tice of homeseekerS, now more than
ever since new building projects have
been started in that section of the
city. There has been considerable
building in the area in recent years
but it has not been as extensive as
In other parts of the Metropolitan
region.
A new interest in the apartment
held, however, may stimulate
number of community developments
Heretofore the Anacostia section has
been devoted mainly to private home
construction, but the new field of
apartment dwellings now is ex-
pected to be broadened.
Stimulation of interest in apart
ment building partially is the result
of the large number of Federal en-
ployes now being assigned to Boiling
Field, the Anacostia Naval Air Sta
ton and the Bellevue experimental
laboratory. In addition. many fam
lilies are moving into the area be-
cause they want to live in the Dis
trict. but they also want to be close
to their jobs in such places as the
new Census Bureau buildings in
Suitland. Others have found the
section convenient to the Navy Yard.
Feature Detached Homes
Realtors interested in the section
point out that the new construction
probably will not continue recent
row house development and that
comparatively large play areas and
yards will be featured. This follows
the pattern set many years ago when
Anacostia was regarded as way out
In the country"
At that time a considerable part of
the construction was of the detached
house type with spacious grounds.
Today. there are many of these plots
devoted to victory gardens. In addi-
ton. some of the deep backwards
behind row houses have been plowed
up and converted into vegetable
gardens.
Another feature of interest to
home seekers is bus transportation
from the section to downtown areas
The Capital Transit Co. provides
three bus routes into the Anacostia
area, Two of these originate down.
town and go to Bellevue and Con-
gress Heights while the third pro-
vides connections from Nichols ave-
nue. to the Sousa Bridge where
transportation is provided for Mary
land destinations
Bellevue Gardens may be taken as
illustrative of new types of develop
ment expected for the Anacostia
region
The first section. of the develop
ment will include 244 units in nine
garden-type apartments in the 100
block of Irvington street. bounded
by Bald Eagle Hill Park and Joliet
street SW.
View of Valley.
The area, which overlooks the Po-
tomac River and affords fine
view Of Oxon Hill Valley and the
Metropolitan section. long has been
dormant as far as new building is
concerned. Recently increased in
terest bv home-seekers has aWak-
ened the building trade to oppor-
tunities presented by the area and
now, backed by demands of war
workers. possibilities of development
are being explored
Donald L. Chamberlin of the Ken
edy-Chamberlin Development Co
has the 244 units now under con-
struction at Bellevue Gardens-a
little over one third of the entire
development contemplated When
completed the 680-unit project is
expected to be the largest Single de-
velopment in the Anacostia section.
Actual cost of the entire project
has not been made public, but it is
expected that the outlay will be in
excess of $3,700000, depending on
the cost of labor and material. The
building permit list recently gave
s343, 900 as the working basis for the
first apartment units now under
construction.
Units Ready in September.
Bellevue Gardens is expected to
have its first units ready for oc-
cupancy early in September. The