Evening star., 1944-02-19
WPB Frees S250,0O0
For Construction Of
8 Play Centers Here
Planners List Locations
Of Projects After Release
Of Lonhom Act Funds

Eight more recreational. centers
five for white and three for coll
ored reSidents-are to be made
ready for field sports this spring
and summer through the action OF
the War Production Board in re-
leasing $250, 900 OF Lanham Act
funds for this purpose.
The National Capital Park and
Planning Commission last night
announced the names and loca-
tions Of the eight centers as fol-
lows:
The Jefferson, Sixth and D streets
S.W.; Hillcrest, near Fort Dupont
park Sc, Powell, Sixteenth and
Lamont streets NV; Anacostia
High School Sc; Coolidge, Fourth
and Sheridan streets NV, all for
white residents. The projects for
colored are the lexington, Second
and T streets NE: Langston, Ben
ming road near Twenty-fourth
street NE. and the Francis, Twen-
ty-f1fth and N streets NV.
Included, also, in the new recrea-
ton program are two playground
sites which will be developed with
the newly released funds. One is
the Turkey Thicket Playground at
Tenth street and Michigan avenue
NE. The other is the Rudolph Play
ground in the Northwest section,
bounded by Second and Third and
1ngraham and Jefferson streets.
Originally 100000 Of Lanham
funds had been allocated for the
development of new recreational
areas and plans were drawn I'D for
each. The WPB, however, had
released only $450,000 of this
amount. withholding the remaining
$250,000 until now because of the
shortage OF critical materials.
The Planning Commission was in.
formed OF the action during its
nnal session of its monthly meet
ing. Its own Committee on the Co.
ordination Of Recreational Plans, on
which District as we'll as Federal
officials are represented, long ago
had chosen the locations of the
centers now to be developed.
Sports of all kinds will be pro-
vided for, with the exception of
swimming pools. The centers are
near public schools and the field
houses to be constructed are limited
in cost to $1,000.
Planning officials outlined various
postwar projects for the benefit of
the Joint Committee on the Ma.
tional Capital whose members,
composed of professional groups,
met with them in the afternoon,
Maj. Gen. U. S. Grant, 3rd, chair
man OF the Planning Commission
gave an illustrated talk on the de-
velopment Of Washington in recent
years.
Frederic A. Delano, chairman
emeritus of the commission, took
part IN the discussions of postwar
plans.
Among the plans was the pro.
posed development of East Capitol
street to the Anacostia River. This
plan would include sports center
&c ~ xsx14 With boating on king
man Lake. e.ss.s4.s.. -; VI =.
omcials Explained that when
constitution and Independence
avenues eventually are extended
eastward to the Anacostia. the
Government has reserved the area
between them and East CAPITOL
street for future Federal buildings
The commission reported that
citizens of Foxcroft Heights, i'm
mediately west OF the new NAVY
Annex in the Pentagon grounds,
had petitioned against the widen
ing and paving OF two residential
streets to permit the passage of
buses through the subdivision.
Secretary Thomas S. Settle said
there was nothing the commission
could do about it.
This is an inevitable result of
placing the Navy Annex so close to
an existing residential subdivision, :"
he said. "and there is no other solu-
ton than the one that has been
proposed"
Residents Of the area protested
that several hundred buses daily
would be routed past their homes.
The street improvements, however,
have been approved by the Arling-
ton County Board.