Evening star., 1950-10-11
Board 10 Speed
Plan 10 Create
IA Play Areas
Problem Consists
Of Buying Property
To Complete Sites

has decided to see what can b.
done to speed up creation of i.
new Fairgrounds which have beer
planned for a number of years.
Meeting yesterday. the boart
directed Milo Christensen, recre'
alton superintendent, to prepare
detailed information on the statu!
of each playground project.
The problems in most case!
involved buying other properties tt
complete the planned site, evictine
families living in the houses on the
acquired property and then de.
molishing the houses. The last
step would be to get money from
Congress to develop the areas al
Fairgrounds.
Opinions Differ.
The speed-up plan brought out
a difference of opinion among
board members about evictine
families.
James E. Schwab, board vice
chairman, contended the houses
on acquired property should be
demolished as fast as possible
He said there is no housing short
age in Washington now and play
ground development should nc
longer be delayed.
Mrs. Alice c. Hunter, board Sec
retary, disagreed, saying the hous-
ing shortage is still severe for
the people in the lower income
groups.
The IA projects are:
Jamaica. P street between Six
teenth and Seventeenth streets
N.W.-All property has been ac-
ouired at the site with the excep-
tion of one lot. Twenty frame
houses are being evacuated and
will be demolished by January /.
Five houses in good condition will
remain standing and will be rented
until development money is avail
able. Then they will go, too.
so Dwellings Involved.
Cardozo Playground, Tenth and
r streets N.W.-Acquisition of
property complete Eviction no.
tices have been served on go dwell
ings. Majority will be razed by
January /.
Seaton, Second and H streets
NW.-Some SO dwellings are being
razed at present. One house in
good condition is to be rented
until a later date.
Dennison, S street between
Thirteenth and Fourteenth streets
N.W.-Seven dwellings are being
razed at present. Land also con-
tainS old Dennison School, no
longer used for classes.
Harrison, Thirteenth and w
streets NV. - Eviction notices
served and demolition should be
started by January l on 80 row
houses on the site.
Francis, Twenty-fifth and N
streets NV. Acquisition COM
plete except for three lots. Four
houses are being razed and two
others will have to be razed later.
Buchanan, Thirteenth and E
streets SEAL property acquired
except three lots. When that is
done, IA houses will be razed.
seven Immediately and seven
later.
Logan, Second and G streets
NEAL property except two
houses acquired. When this is
done. seven row houses will be
demolished.
Kingsman. Fourteenth street
and Tennessee avenue N.E.-All
but four lots acquired and razing
will involve only II garages.
All Land Acquired.
Payne, Fifteenth and c streets
S.E.-All land acquired. Seven
houses will be rented until i'm
provement money available and
then razed.
Deanwood, Forty eighth and
Nash streets N.E.-Land acquired
and razing involves one frame
house and a number Of out-build-
ings. T
Riggs Road, Sixth and Riggs
road N.E.-Acquisition complete.
Demolition of one frame house
and some out-buildings to start
this month.
New Friendship - Forty-sixth
street and Massachusetts, avenue
N.W.-Property acquired but hold
up is problem of getting street
and alley closed.
Fort Reno, Thirty-ninth and
Davenport streets N.W.-All land
acquired but seven lots.
The Recreation Board pointed
out that, in it's 1852 budget re-
quests. money was asked to pur-
chase land for playground use in
Cleveland Park, at Buchanan and
at Lovejoy.
The National Capital Park and
Planning Commission is working
on acquisition of land for the fol-
lowing Fairgrounds: Foxhall re-
placement, Lamond Playground
Benning Recreation Center, Tur-
ner School, Rose Park Playground
River Terrace Playground and
Georgetown Recreation Center.
Cites Attendance Figures.
During the meeting. Mr.. Schwab
presented to the board his anal
ysis Of attendance figures at the
six public swimming pools oper-
ated by the Interior Department
on q nom segregated basis.
Mr.. Schwab showed that at
tendance last summer was 43 per
cent under that of the summer
Of 1948. Negro attendance in
creased 80 per cent but white
attendance dropped So per cent
he said.
His summary was as follows:
Anacostia attendance dropped rs
per cent, with white attendance
dropping SO per cent; Mckinley