Evening star., 1946-10-27
D. {. 10 Regain
Center and New
Library by 1947
OPA Holds Fate
Of Armory and
(. V. Brown School
By Rudolph Kouffmonn II

The District will be able to regain
occupancy of its Municipal Center
and new Central Library Buildings
by the end of this year.
It's National Guard Armory and
the E. " Brown School, Connecticut
avenue and Northampton street
NV, however, are due to be occu-
pied in whole or in part by the
Federal Government until the fiscal
year ends June 30, 1947, unless the
Office of Price Administration makes
its final bow before that.
Seven other of the IL District
buildings now in use by Federal
agencies may be regained by the
municipality at any time on go days
notice, but none of the seven is
wanted by city officials for any
purpose just now.
The Situation.
This was how the situation shaped
up yesterday following talks with
space officials.
The Municipal Center is now
partly occupied by the Veterans
Administration. w. E. Reynolds,
commissioner of public buildings,
yesterday gave December 81 as the
date the District could expect to
take over completely.
The same goes, he said, for the
new Central Library Building. at
Sixth street and Pennsylvania ave-
nue. NV, now occupied by the State
Department Institute of Inter-
American Affairs.
Release of the armory, return OF
which has been sought repeatedly
by Brig. Gen. Albert L. Cox. District
National Guard commandant, de-
pends entirely on the fate OF OPA.
Now Held by FBI.
This is because the Federal Bureau
of Investigation, which now has the
armory for its huge and valuable
collection of confidential and secret
files, is supposed to move into Fed
eral Office Building No. /, Third and
D streets S.W., as soon as OPA
moves out.
Release of the Brown School de-
pends on the same set of circum-
stances. The District branch OF
OPA has Offices there.
| Chevy Chase civic groups, backed
by the District Recreation Board and
| the Board of Library Trustees, want
| the school released for combina-
| ton community center and branch
| library. They have asked the Com
missionerS to turn it over to the
custody of the two boards.
The Commissioners, however, 1t
was learned, have told the District
OPA it can stay there until the
Price Control Act expires at the end
of the fiscal year.
These four buildings, according to
E. P. Brooke, District superintendent
of buildings, are the only ones OF
which the District is pressing to re-
gain occupancy or for which a hue
and cry has been raised by Wash
ingtonians.
60-Day Notice Group.
The others which, he said, could
be had on 60-day notice, are:
! French School. Seventh and G
streets Sc. This is now used by
the Marine Corps. Mr.. Brooke said
lit is of no use to the District as a
school or for any other purpose.
| Old Jefferson High School, Sixth
and D streets S.W. This is leased by
Public Buildings Administration for
the use of the Civilian Production
Administration and the War Assets
Administration. According to Mr..
Brooke it is of no use as school.
The Rossell School. Ninth and E
streets SW. 1t is leased by the
Marine Corps. According to Mr..
Brooke it falls in the same category
as the French School and is of no
particular use to the District.
The Chain Bridge School, 28l0
Chain Bridge road NV. 1t is used
by the office of National Capital
Parks as q warehouse. 1t, likewise.
is not wanted by the District for
. any purpose.
Testing Laboratory Occupied.
The dairy barn of the Home for
the Aged and Infirm at Blue Plains.
1t is used by the Navy as part OF
| its Bellevue experimental research
laboratory and, according to home
officials, is of no further use to the
home.
The Districts highway testing
laboratory, Second and Bryant
streets NV. 1t is now in use by
the National Bureau of Standards.
Congress has refused the District
the money to operate it,
The Reservoir School, Clark and
Elliott places NV, This is used
by the Army engineers as part OF
their Dalecarla filtration plant and
lis of no use to the District, accord
ing to Mr.. Brooke.
~ AII>