Evening star., 1950-05-25
Site in Virginia
Is Offered for
.FSA Building
Developer Submits
Proposal Through
Alexandra c. of c.

A strong bid 10 locate a pro-
posed Sis million Social Security
Building in suburban Virginia has
been made by an anonymous real
estate developer who has offered
the Government a l5-acre site
without cost.
This was disclosed by the Alex
andria Chamber Of Commerce.
The project is a new building for
the Federal Security Agency'S Bu-
reau of Old Age and Survivors
Insurance. which wants to move
from its antiQuated quarters in
Baltimore. A bill for new build
ing is pending in Congress.
When the offer was made for
a site close to the Shirley high
way in portion of Fairfax
County that Alexandria hopes 10
annex. q Chamber OF Commerce
Committee furnished FSA with in
formation on housing. labor.
transportation and recreation IA
cilities in the area.
The insurance bureau. with its
5000 employees and millions OF
records housed in an old Balti-
more warehouse. has for some
time sought new quarters. A bill
to authorize the move and permit
expenditure of the building money
from the Federal Old-Age and
Survivor Trust Fund was intro
duced in Congress in March.
Suitland. Md, was the first to
make a bid to have the bureau
move to the site offered in that
area, but Baltimore officials coun-
tered with an offer of a new
building there, declaring the bu-
reau employees mean a great deal
in the economic life of Baltimore"
AleXandrians believe that theirs
is the best site because it is only
seven minutes by car TO the Dis
trict and it would benefit four sur
rounding areas; Alexandria. Ar
lington. Fairfax and Falls Church.
The chamber committee wrote
the Social Security Administra-
ton: Northern Virginia, within
the Metropolitan Area. offers
everything that may be desired for
a happy situation, chief among
which are comfortable and re-
Gently constructed housing facil-
tiles, thoroughfares adequate to
handle mass traffic and above all,
healthy environments that are un-
eXcelled anywhere" The brochure
cited the Pentagon Building as
an example of the environment
the proposed headquarters could
have.
The chamber also said that
housing capable Of meeting ANY
demand" is within l0-minute
drive from the site offered and
that 5000 apartment units and
several hundred private homes are
under construction in the area.
There are Negro housing develop
ments nearby also. 1t was pointed
out.
| The special committee. headed
by City Councilman James M.
Duncan. jr.. refused to reveal the
identity OF the person who offered
the tract to FSA Administrator
Oscar Ewing, or the exact loca-
ton of the site. 1t was described,
however, as 2l2 miles from Lake
Bancroft, u miles from Arling-
ton, and within IL miles OF the
harrington and Shirlington shop
ping centers.
ID. c. Book, manager OF the
chamber, said the offer came from
a man with large land holdings
around the site who had "exten-
sive" plans for residential and
business development In the area.
FSA Asks for Data.
Asked II the FSA had shown in
terest in the proposal. Mr.. Book
said it had indicated interest in a
move to the Washington area and
had asked for complete data.
Mr.. Book said the chambers
proposal would not be affected by
the outcome of an Alexandria
Fairfax annexation suit. now
pending. He said the chamber
had two alternate sites In mind IL
the one near Shirley Highway 10
not acceptable.
In addition to Mr.. Duncan. q
committee working on the pro-
posal consists of Mayor Franklin
P. Backus. J. Randall Hicks, Alex
andria real estate man. Edward
S. Holland, a civil engineer and
member Of the city's Planning
Commission. and Frank CoWles.
building contractor. The group
has worked in consultation with
Representative Smith, Democrat,
Of Virginia.