Evening star., 1946-03-27
Survey Of DC.
Building Outlook
To Start Soon
Officials Will Meet
Today With CPA's
Construction Chief

w oetclHllIle now muCn commercial
and industrial construction can be
started along with veterans housing
under the new Government regula-
tions issued yesterday.
District government oficials were
to meet this afternoon with Edward
M. Synan, newly-appointed manager
OF the Civilian Production Admin
1stration's District Construction
ONCE, which will have charge OF
screening" future commercial and
industrial construction.
Mr.. Synan also is preparing TO,
CPA list of names of Washing
tonians as candidates for appoint
ment to the District Area Construc-
tion Review Committee.
Seven to Nine Members.
This committee, headed by Mr.
Synan and expected to include sew
en- to nine representative residents
OF the District area, will advise on
whether business building projects
are nondeferrable and essential.
The group will be appointed with
In short time by John D. Small,
civilian production administrator
along with similar committees in 10
other areas throughout the country,
CPA spokesman said. The COM
mittee will cover the District, and
Montgomery, Prince Georges, St,
Mary's, Charles and Calvert Coun-
ties, Md, and Arlington and Fair
fax Counties, and Alexandria, Va.
The housing regulations left the
District construction industry in
extreme confusion" a spokesman
said, which won't be settled until
the area review committee can begin
to function.
The CPA regulations were issued
to carry out Housing Administrator
Wilson Wyatt's program for 2,700, 900
veterans homes in the next two
years by halting deferable COM
mercial and industrial construction
until housing can get underway.
Federal building and several million
dollars worth of non-housing con-
struction probably will be held UP
for some time here.
Private non-housing projects in
the District area will require author
izations from the CPA construction
oh1ce, room 2051, Social Security
Building, while permits to start new
housing will be filed with the Federal
Housing Administration District
Insuring Office, 1921 Fourteenth
street NV.
Builders or individuals who now
hold priorities to build veterans
housing will not be delayed by the
regulations, CPA said.
No Quotas Set Up.
No quotas have been set up by the
Government under the regulations
which would indicate how many
homes and apartments the District
may expect to get as the result Of
the program, Mr.. Wyatt said.
However, District home builders
expect an increase amount of ma
terials will permit construction of
better than 10000" more houses
and apartments by the end of 1947.
Edward r. Carr, president Of the
Home Builders Association of Metro
politan Washington; said he expected
that if materials become available
in volume more than $4,000 can be
built in the first year.
He pointed out that from January
is to yesterday, District builders had
applied for 1915 priorities.
Many Permits Ready.
mo one knows exactly how many
the District will get under the pro-
gram" Mr.. Carr said, but If the
materials are forthcoming, we'll be
able to build better than 10000 units
by thetend of next year.
Robert w. Davis, acting director
of the District Building Inspection
Department, said. several million
dollars in construction for which
permits have been issued probably
would require screening by CPA's
Area Construction Review Com
mittee.
Mr.. Davis, who has been acting
chief of the District Building In
spection Department since retire.
ment March l of Brig. Gen. John
w. Oehmann, said that in addition
to construction permits already ap-
proved there is large backlog of
permit applications on which ac-
ton has not yet been taken.
Status Not Known.
On projects for which permits
have been issued, he said, there is
no record of those on which starts
have been made. Since the halt
order exempts projects already
started, he pointed out, it is diff
cult to estimate exactly how much
construction will be affected In
Washington.
Beginning of work on projects
on which starts have not yet been
made, but which builders may
claim to be essential, presumably
will have to be delayed until the
review committee can take up their
applications.
Ernest F. Henry, executive direc-
tor of the Home Builders Association,
hailed the regulations as "a great
help" to the program of home con-
structlon, and pointed out that II
probably would mean projects now
held up by shortages would be
given new impetus.
Secs Blow to Contractors.
I'VE hope we now can fgo ahead
more swiftly in completing these
projects for veterans" he said
Until now, because materials were
not made available to home build
ers, priorities on supplies for veter.
ans homes were not worth the paper
they were written on"
One oficial of the Washington
Building Congress, an organization
representative Of larger general con.
tractors, architects and suppliers
who are, in most cases, not engaged
In home building, said he expected
the order would hit general con.
tractors in this area pretty hard"
Charles T. Penn, president of thu
building congress, said he expected
most Federal building to be put OF
for about year.
he agreed that some construction
firms may have tough time te
keep alive" but that school and public
= l.