Evening star., 1950-04-09
D.C.Heads0kay
Ten Plans for
Construction
Hospital and LibroY
Improvements Among
Projects Approved
By horriet Gnffiths

oy noffiet SftffithS
Hospital and library improve.
ment are among 10 projects ap-
proved by the Commissioners In
a schedule for the next few years.
The schedule was drawn I'D a.
basis for asking the Federal
Government to reserve $246.0o0
for the District under Public Law
S52. which provides for interest,"
free loans to be used on advance
planning of Federal public
works.
Construction must be started
within three years after the money
is borrowed or evidence submitted
that 1t will be started soon. Then
the loan can be repaid from the
construction appropriation. II the
construction does not start within
that time. the money must b.
paid back anyway.
On the recommendation Of En-
gineer Commissioner Gordon r.
Young. the city heads decided
not to start spending money on
any one of the projects without
specific approval by the Commits
sioners.
Projects Described.
Projects on the schedule in
clude:
Preliminary drawings for q
400-bed addition. staff housing.
utility building and miscellaneous
items at Glenn Dale Sanatorium.
$25 900.
Working drawings for a sixth
floor operating suite at Gallinger
Hospital. $500.
Preliminary drawings for a doc
tors and internes building. psy-
chopathic building. and outpa-
tients' clinic and administration
building at Gallinger. $4,000.
Working drawings for the sew
age treatment plant. $50. 900. This
item Is included in the pending
1851 District budget estimates and
as an alternative means of get
ting the planning money If 1t Is
deleted from the budget.
$4,000 for Fire House Plans.
Working drawings for two fire
houses. $4,000.
Working drawings for a Ma
tional Training School for Girls
building at Laurel. Md. $56. 900.
Soil Investigations. $4,000.
Preliminary drawings for a new
First Police Precinct and Womens
Bureau. $4,000.
Preliminary drawings for indus
trial and utility improvements at
Lorton Reformatory, $4,000.
Central Library restudy, $500.
Gen. Young expressed belief the
Glenn Dale addition should be un-
dertaken within the next few
years. He pointed out that this
is one case where you can almost
statistically connect building fa-
cilities with the saving Of lives"
Suggests Building by Stages.
He said lack of space at the
hospital prevents its admitting
many early stage tuberculosis pa
tients, since first consideration
must be given advanced cases. He
said many lives could be saved II
sufferers were hospitalized early.
The Engineer Commissioner
said crystal ball guess" Of ths
cost of the addition would put IL
around $4,000 a bed. This addi-
ton, he said, might be built in
stages.
The Central Library restudy in
wolves a survey Of possible en-
largement Of the old building on
Mt. Vernon place. Senator Hill.
Democrat, Of Alabama. head Of
the Senate subcommittee in
charge of the Districts budget.
recently raised the possibility OF
abandoning the new Central Lii
brary Building project at 400
Pennsylvania avenue NV.
Senator Hill advanced the idea
after finding the new building
which Is one unit of a contem-
plated four-unit center-stil was
used mostly by Federal agencies,
although built 10 years ago for the
library.
New Site Considered.
Senator Hill asked whether the
plan for that site would be aban-
doned, and the present building
sold to the Federal Government.
The Commissioners plan to
study both the idea of enlarging
the old Central Library and the
possibility Of finding another site.
Gen. Young said he felt that.
given proper branch facilities. the
library might be able to get along
with less space than the four
unit plan contemplated. He added
that it would be a long time before
the money would be available to
carry out the project.
- The purpose OF borrowing
money under the advance plan
ming law would be to let the
Municipal Architects Office ex-
pand or stabilize its staff so that
the projects could be planned and
ready to go when appropriations
are obtained. It is not planned
to have the work done by con-
tract.
Peak Within Three Years Seen.
In three years or more, think
we'll be over the peak Of this de-
signing Of elaborate schools and so
forth which we have to have to
catch up with the wartime taper
ing off," Gen. Young explained.
He derlared the horrouinc