Evening star., 1947-07-27
Brown School
Rennode|ingBids
ToBeAskedSoon
Architect Is Working
On FinuI Plans for
Recreation Center

Bids for reE1odeling of the E. V
Brown School into the Chevy Chase
areas long sought recreation center
library building will be advertised
within the next 80 days, Archie
Hutson, the Districts director OF
construction, said yesterday.
This means that Chevy Chase resi-
dents before long should be able to
start enjoying the fruits of their
successful fight to use the old school
building as recreation center and
hand library rather than see it
sold by the District to the highest
bidder.
For the last several years, after
the school had been abandoned and
then used for District Office of Price
Administration headquarters during
the war, the Chevy Chase area has
talked of using the building for a
center.
Aided by a series of articles and
editorials in The Star pointing to the
need for a center in the neighbor-
hood, residents finally convinced the
Commissioners early this year their
proposition was sound.
Final Plans Under Way.
Congress followed suit with $780,
900 appropriation just signed into
law by President Truman.
Mr.. Hutson said yesterday the
Municipal Architects Office is now
working on final plans and speciflca-
tions for remodeling the school.
If the bids do not exceed the ap-
preparation available, young and old
alike in the Chevy Chase area
should be able to start using the
center by Christmas.
Here's what the center will mean
to them in practical terms if every
thing goes according to plan.
For the first time they will have
a branch public library that isn't
crammed into rented quarters on
Livingston street, where there isn't
any shelf space left.
Assembly Hall Provided
They will have an assembly hall
the schools old auditorium re-
modelled so the floor is fiat instead OF
sloping-where they can hold meet
ings, view stage performances, and
have dances.
This will be in the center of the
building and the center doorway be
widened to allow for three doors.
Off the lobby will be the enter di-
rectors Office.
Then, at the front of the left wing
of the building as you face it from
Connecticut avenue, will be room
for small children to young to at
tend school; back of that canteen
and kitchen and back of that a
lounge.
In the right wing Of the building,
served by its own entrance, will be
the Chevy Chase Branch Public
Library.
Only the ground floor of the
school will be used in both the CEN
ter and library sections except that
a lavatory for boys will be in the
basement of the left wing. The girls
lavatory will be on the ground floor.
$4,000 for Revamping.
The revamping Of the community
center section of the old school will
take $4,000 of the appropriation,
while the library will use $4,000.
The bulk of the $4,000 will be
spent on changes to make the right
wing of the building conform to
District fire safety regulations. A
large part of the $4,000 for the
recreation center will be spent for
the same purposes.
The necessity for meeting fire
safety rules has meant the second
floor of the school and the bulk of
the basement cannot be remodeled
for use at this time.
The Recreation and Library
Boards were told in April they must
pare down the expense of the
project after it was found that
meeting the fire rules would mean
a 80 per cent rise in the original
cost estimate for the project.
Stairs to the second floor of the
building are to be walled off under