Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1948-01-30
Planners Approve /.
Design for Bethesda
Research Hospital
By Nelson M. Shepard

research H0SpIfdl
By Nelson N. Shepard
Federal planners co-operated to-
day to rush advance preparations
for construction Of the Public
Health Services proposed $4,000
600 research hospital center of $50
beds on the Rockville pike at
Bethesda.
Subject to later revisions, the
National Capital Park and Plan
ming Commission approved prelimi-
nary plans for a main 13-story
hospital building which will form
the nucleus of what the commits
sion was informed would be "the
biggest and most far-reaching re-
search center of its kind in the
world"
The center will provide $50 beds
for transient patients, $50 beds for
cardiac cases, and $50 beds for
cases involving mental diseases. In
addition, the building will provide
quarters 1pr so of the administra-
tive personnel.
w. E. Reynolds, commissioner Of
the Public Buildings Administra-
ton. presented the plans to the
commission.
Opposite Naval Hospital.
The research center is located on
the 90-acre tract opposite the new
Naval Hospital. The Public Health
Service is acquiring additional land
for future developments.
Plans for the new research hos
pital differ radically from the Naval
Hospital hi the vicinity which has
q tall tower as the central feature.
The proposed building viii resemble
a figure II.
The Maryland National Capital
Park and Planning Commission,
which has q direct interest in the
project, win be consulted in connec-
ton with changes that must be
made in the road system of the
reservation.
Alternative plans for handling of
automobile parking in the plaza on
Fourteenth street south of Penn
sylvania avenue were submitted to
the Planning Commission today.
One plan would provide for the &C
commodation of 400 automobiles of
workers employed in the nearby
District Building, Commerce, Post
Office and Labor Buildings. An
alternate plan would provide for
depressed areas for 200 additional
cars.
Parking Spice Reduced.
Originally the site had been used
for many years to accommodate
some LOO automobiles for all-day
parking. In recent years, however,
this number has gradually dimin-
ished to provide space for the Capt.
tai Transit turn-around bus station
at the end of Thirteenth street.
Under present plans 1t is proposed
to allow the Capital Transit Co. to
retain its turn-around area. This
probably will be enlarged and i'm
proved by landscaping.
The planners also had before them
today for future analysis a COM
plete picture of health and SAM
tary conditions in the individual
homes of Marshall Heights, one of
two Eastern areas in the city
marked for intensive study in con-
nection with urban redevelopment
planning.
The occupants of only two of
the 459 homes in this colored sub
division were "unco-operative," Di-
rector William H. Carey, jr., of the
Districts Bureau of Public Health
Engineering informed the planning
agency. The homes in the project
were checked, it was announced,
by standards of the American
Health Association.
Maj. Gen. U. S. Grant III, chair
man of the National Capital Park
and Planning Commission, was en-
couraged over what he termed the
excellent degree of cooperation"
shown by the citizens of this COM
munity. Possibly within a week or
two, he said, the planners will call
a meeting at which it will ques-
ton some of the residents of the
area to determine their personal
views on redevelopment.
Barry Farms to Be Studied.
Barry Farms in the Anacostia
area is the second settlement of
homes marked for similar studies.
Marshall Heights Is just west of the
District line and is bounded by
Southern avenue, East Capitol street
and Benning road. The area is
one OF widely mixed standards and
is by no means to be construed
as a blighted area in its entirety,
planning officials said.
The Marshall Heights survey Is
only in preliminary form, but Suf-
f1cient data have been assembled by
Mr.. Carey to furnish the planning
agency with material for guidance
and study. Harland Bartholomew
OF st. Louis, Mo-, and his staff of
city planners who are working on
a comprehensive plan for Washing
ton and its environs were deeply In
terested in the Marshall Heights
study.
Under the Urban Redevelopment
Act, so-called blighted or substand-
ard areas In the city are to be
bought up and converted into mod
81 residential npd rny,oyoornie1 e,,k