Evening star., 1947-05-06
Hospital Center
70 Be Built d,
Observatory Site
Navy to Shore Lond
On Wisconsin Avenue
For IS Million Project
BY HeroId D. ROGERS

"SSssAkS8 VII icW tlO3Qlt8k
center, authorized by Congress,
win be constructed on part of
the Naval Observatory grounds
between Massachusetts, and Wis
consin avenues NV, it was
learned today.
The Navy Department has Of
ncially agreed to share its 72-acre
site 50 that the new center may be
constructed there.
The part OF the site selected for
the center Is understood to be on
rolling land. about 90 to Is acres
facing Wisconsin avenue.
The Navy itself, it was learned.
hopes eventually to move its entire
Observatory to a place in the coun-
try, near the city, however. But
no decision has been reached on
this.
No details concerning the ques-
ton Of finances were revealed.
IS Million Fund Authorized.
Legislation for the giant hospital
center, approved by the last Com
gress, authorized an appropriation
OF $35, ,000, 900 for the entire project.
The original units In the new center
are Emergency, Garfield and Epis-
copal Hospitals.
An estimate for $2,750, 900 to buy
land and draw plans for the center
is pending before the House Ap-
preparations Committee in the bud
get for next fiscal year submitted
for the Public Buildings Admins
tration of the Federal Works
Agency.
Hearings have been completed on
the supply bill for the independent
offices Of the Government, but 1t
has not been reported to the House.
The Naval Observatory site was
selected by officials or the Public
Buildings Administration and a
committee representing the three
hospitals participating.
Ended Long Campaign.
The legislation enacted by the
last session Of Congress was the re-
suit of a long campaign conducted
by several hospitals here to provide
modern and adequate facilities to
replace old structures which were
criticized severely.
The legislation originally had been
drafted to provide not only big
hospital center for the three partici-
pating hospitals, but also to enable
lother institutions to renovate and
modernize their plants on their old
locations. s'i
In the House, however, opponents
of the bill succeeded in striking
from the measure the provision for
hospitals outside the center. The
$35, 900, 600 authorization, however,
originally intended for both the
center and other hospitals, remained
in the bill which became law
Outside Projects Abandoned.
A recent move designed to resur-
rect the project for aid to hospitals
outside the center was understood
today to have been abandoned at
least temporarily by its proponents.
This decision was reached, 1t was
learned, as result of conferences
between the hospitals and legisla-
tive leaders.
The Hospital Center Act set up
financial arrangements between the
hospital corporations participating
and the Government. The Federal
Works Agency, through its Public
Buildings Administration, will ham
die preparation of plans and speci-
ffcations In Cooperation with the
hospitals and will supervise con-
struction.
Old Plants to Be Sold.
| The act provided that the value
of the Emergency, Garfield and
Episcopal plants shall be turned
over to the Government. This may
be done either by transfer of the
properties to the Federal Works
Agency direct. or by the hospitals
themselves selling their plants and
turning over the cash to the Gov
ernment. If they sell their property
themselves, 1t must be at price to
be determined by the Federal Works
/ Agency.
/ No specific estimate has been
placed on the actual cost of the
center buildings themselves. This
will depend largely, 1t was indicated,
on the financial arrangements made
with the Navy about the new SITE
The 20 or Is acre site is believed
by hospital planners to be adequate
for the huge center. It will be
large enough to erect a structure
which will more than double the
combined capacity of all the three
hospitals.
Would Provide 1,5O0 Beds.
The three participating institu-
tions now have beds totaling about
750. The center, thus, would replace
those 750 and provide about 750 in
addition, for a total OF about 1900
beds.
/ The need for the new hospital
tcenter long had been stressed by
1.-THE institutions themselves. But
added support was given them by a
health and hospital survey con-
ducted by three out-of-city, inde-
pendent experts for the Metropol-
Iitan Health Council, unit Of the
Council Of Social Agencies.
/ These experts scored the anti
lquated, overcroWded and insanitary
hospitals Of the city as a disgrace
Ito the Nation They called for .
tremendous new hospital building
program as solution to the city'i
fneed.