Evening star., 1946-08-02
Planners 10 Ask Early
Funds 10 Launch
'S|um Redeve|opment

The National Capital Park and
Planning Commission is to take i'm
mediate steps to get funds to finance
the District slum clearance and re-
development master plan for which
lit would be responsible under the
islum clearance act just passed by
Congress and now awaiting the
Presidents signature.
The commission made this an
nouncement through it's secretary
Thomas S. Settle, Immediately fol-
lowing yesterdays halliday session
devoted to discussion of its response
bilities under the act.
The session included tour OF
slum areas in the District as well
as the l50-acre area of relatively un-
developed land bounded by st. Eliza
beth's Hospital. Nichols avenue S.E.
Fort Stanton Park and Howard
street Sc.
Priority Areas Visited.
Slum areas badly in need of re-
development. which threaten tc
spread their decadence into adjoin-
ing residential sections, were visited
flrst-the area just east of Griffith
Stadium near the Mott School ano
lthe Mcmillan Pumping Station
where the National Capital Housing
Authority already has made some
progress toward redevelopment
under previous housing legislation
land the alley dwellings in Neal place
and Ridge street NV.
These areas are as bad as any ir
the city, planning commission aides
said, and are likely to come in fol
early attention under the act.
Then the planners. accompanied
by John Ihlder, executive officer ot
the National Capital Housing Au.
thority, went to the Fort Stantor
area.
Here, Mr.. Ihlder explained. Gen
0. 0. Howard, who was head of tn
Freedmen's Bureau, post Civil Wa
agency created to help freed ant
escaped slaves, succeeded in havin,
set aside number of large plots
many from go to 300 feet in widtl
and depth in the hope that the mel
and women just coming out O
/ bondage could make farm living il
a small way.
! An Economic Slum."
The area was subdivided for thi
! purpose, he continued, but, now
when an area so close to the city,
center is badly needed for housing
it Is what he termed an "economi
slum'-a waste of land which coult
be better used another way.
Planning officials indicated thi
land would be ideal for an initia
project. Housing could be createe
there first and families from down
town slums moved in as their forme
homes were razed for redevelopmen
under the slum act.
Here's how the act would work Il
Clear up the specific situation GOV
cred in the tour:
After preparing its city-Wide slun
master plan. the commission woulc
then make a detailed project plar
covering. the Fort Stanton area
This would be submitted to the Dis
! trict Commissioners, who would ir
turn hold a public hearing on it
Then the Commissioners and the
Planning Commission would col.
laborate to clear up defects brought
out by the hearing and forward the
plan to the five-man Slum Clear
ance and Redeveopment Agency Sc,
up by the act.
Provides for Bids.
The agency would then purchase
the land, using its $20,000,000 re.
volving fund, and would advertise
for bids from private contractors tt
build the project. If private enter.
prise failed to bid, the Nationa
Capital Housing Authority woult
have the opportunity to step in ane
bid for the project.
Making the trip were three mem
bers of the commission: Maj. Gen
U. S. Grant III, retired, chairman
j. C.. Nichols and Henry v. Hub
bard; Col. Kenneth E. Madsen, as
sistant District Engineer Commits
Isioner; John Nolen, jr director o
planning; Thomas C. Jeffers, stat
Landscape architect; Mr.. Settle ant
Norman c. Brown, land purchasing
Officer.