Evening star., 1947-09-26
DC. Faces Wait
|0f | to3years
|0n IS Schools
Architect Seeks
To Speed Projects
Still On Paper
By Colt HendIey, Jr.

projects. still in the paper-work
stage, probably will take from ons
to three years to complete, despite
the fact they are being pushed by
the municipal architects office.
Part Of the money to get these
projects underway is on hand all
ready. The remainder, as well as
money to start another seven major
buildings project, is included in the
record 1948-9 budget request of the
Board Of Education.
Archie Hutson, in charge of Dis
trlct construction, said today 1t Is
to set starting or COM
pletlon dates on any of the projects
because of many factors. But the
experience of the District with con.
structlon IN the past year indicates
1t Will be at least a year before any
OF the planned school projects reach
a point where children can walk in
and sit down at desks.
No Contracts Awarded.
No contracts have been awarded
as yet, but four have been adver.
tised and should be out by Wednes-
DAY, he said. The others will be
advertised at regular intervals be-
tween now and June.
Appropriations in previous wears
Tor buildings, still unspent, amount
to $4.270.711, while the 1918 bud
get added another $3,2l9,230 for
this purpose. This total of $7,489,.
s4l is earmarked for these Is prof.
ects, plus plans for four other prof.
ects. Not all the money for the
construction has been appropriated,
leaving about another $4,000, 900 to
De added before completion.
The Board of Education, In its
budget request for the fiscal year
1888, asked for $11,600,000 to
further these projects as well as
plan for the seven others.
2 Soon to Be Ready.
The only actual buildings expect
ed to be put into use soon are the
Slowe Elementary School, Four
teenth and jackson streets NE, and
the Richardson Elementary School,
Fifty-third and Blaine streets NE.
Mr.. Hutson estimated the Slowe
School would be ready by November
l and the Richardson School by
January IS.
Construction on both schools
started in October, 1916, Mr.. Hut
son said. just how long it takes to
build large school now is an un-
predictable thing, owing to labor
and material shortages, he added.
A spokesman for the Washington
Building Congress said this shortage
Of men in the trades is quite evi.
dent" and that contractors have q
hard time finding sufficient labor.
Certain materials are short and still
others are "exorbitantly priced" the
spokesman said.
Before the war, construction Of
large school buildings was accom-
plished in about 10 to IL months.
Also, before the war, an average Of
10 contractors bidding for a large
job was normal. Now an average
OF five bids Is considered "encourag-
ing" because a year ago 1t was un-
usual to get more than two or three
bids, Mr.. Hutson explained.
.. Plans Shaved.
Contracts for many of the projects
could not be awarded because the
bids would be higher than the limit
of the costs allowed by Congress, Mr..
Hutson said. Accordingly, Munich
pal Architect Merrell Coe ordered all
school building plans revamped to
eliminate fancy trimmings and to
save about 6 per cent of the cost.
AS the plans for the 18 projects
are reworked, they are being put up
for BIDS, Mr.. Hutson said.
The projects line up like this:
The contracts have been adver-
tised for an 18-room and cafeteria
addition at the Randall Junior
High School, First and I streets
NV, total cost, $450,000; for an
eight-room addition to the Logan
Elementary School, Third and @
streets NE, total cost, $498, 900; an
efght-room addition to the Kimball
Elementary School, Minnesota ave-
nue. and Ely place Sc, total cost,
$525, 900, and the finishing OF seven
rooms at the Anacostia Senior High
School, Sixteenth and r streets
Sc, total cost, $l28,750.
Mr.. Hutson said the bids on tf1ess
buildings should be awarded by o.
tober /.
Contracts to be advertised in the
first week of October are for the
Nalle Elementary School, to be built
at East Capitol street and Benninx
road, "a rooms at a total cost Of
1854 900; for the Tyler Elementary
School, to be built near Eleventh
and G streets Sc, total cost, $670,.
800; a 1o-classroom, two-gymnasiun
addition to the Taft Junior High
School, Eighteenth and Perry streets
NE, total cost, $814,00O and the
Miller Junior High School, to be
built at Forty-ninth street and
Washington place NE, total cost.
81 ,808, 900.
2 For December Advertising.
Contracts for the new spingarn
High School, to be located at Twen.
ty-fourth street and Benning road
NE, total cost, $2,505, 900, and the
Sousa Junior High School, to be
located at Thirty-fourth street and
Minnesota avenue Sc, total cost,
81 1896, 900, will be advertised in De-
cember, Mr.. Hutson said.
Expected to be advertised by June,
194S, are the projects for the new
Montgomery Elementary School, to
be located at New Jersey avenue and
p street NV, total cost, $500 900:
an eight-room addition to the Beers
Elementary School, Alabama ave.
nue. and Thirty-sixth place Sc,
total cost. $487, 300; the new Walker
Jones Elementary School, to be
located near Third and L streets
NV, total cost, ss71 900; the new
Birney Elementary School, at
Nichols avenue and Summer. road
Sc. total cost, $725, 900; an eight
room addition to the Crummen Ele-
mentary School, Fourteenth and
jackson streets NE, total cost,
SIZE, 900, and an eight-room addition
to the Young Elementary School.