Evening star., 1952-01-08
Maryland Gets
Dual Buildings
Plan for Capital
New Baltimore Office
Annapolis Addition
May Settle Dispute
By J. L. MichoeI
Stor Stoff Correspondent

BALTIMORE, Jan. 8.-Mary-
land may settle fight over loca-
ton of its government Offices by
erecting a new structure here and
an addition to its building at An
napolis.
Tentative plans are under con-
Sideration today for a $40 million
Office center set on what is now
a slum district near the heart of
Baltimore. It would be paid for
under a novel method of financ-
ing.
In the making are proposals for
an addition to the present State
Office Building in the State Cap
ital
Both plans are in the "explora-
tory stage.
Sources close to Gov. McKeldin
said the projects have his ap-
proval "in broad principle"
Informed sources outlined the
plan shortly before the Glen
Burnie Chamber of Commerce
withdrew its bid for the proposed
building at a meeting of the
Budget and Finance Committee OF
the Legislative Council here last
night.
Expert Coming Friday.
The Governor has called in one
Of the Nations foremost plan
ming and development experts tc
advise him on the building prob
lem. He is William Zeckendort
OF New York, who will be a Fri
day and Saturday guest at the
executive mansion in Annapolis
where a conference on the subject
will be held Friday evening.
Before the conference, the Gov
ernor and Mr.. sZeckendorf will
inspect the city's available slum
areas. They will be accompanied
by department heads, legislators
and city officials.
Long the center of controversy
between the city and the counties
the issue of where to centralize
State activities of the States
$4,000 employees. is due for spirited
debate when the Legislature con-
venes February 6.
An attempt will be made then
to override the Governors veto
Of a 1851 bill which would au-
thorize a new $5-million State
office building near Annapolis.
Annapolis Needs Cited.
Executive Office spokesmen said
the Governors viewpoint is that
the major part of the States busi-
ness should be transacted in Bal
timore, but that ''he sees the
need for some offices in Annap-
olis-more than are located there
today"
One reason for this outlook,
they explained, is that with key
departments in Annapolis more
Of the Governors close advisers
would be quickly available for
consultation.
Two departments likely to re-
main in Baltimore, it was said,
are motor vehicle and board of
health.
I. Alvin Pasarew, State Plan
ming Commission director, said
Fridays tour will be part of the
Governors effort to crystalline
public thinking so that "if at all
possible" the new Office building
will be integrated with slum
clearance and redevelopment."
Two principal objections to a
Baltimore Office building have
been voiced by county legislators.
One is the traditional view that
all Offices should be in the historic
State Capital. The other is their
fear that parking facilities would
be lacking.
But Baltimore interests believe
they can dissolve county opposi-
ton by augmenting State activiti-
ties at Annapolis and by provid-
ing parking for at least 1000 cars
at the projected city structure.
Would "Buy" Building.
Especially appealing to taxpay-
ers, Baltimoreans believe. is their
plan to have the city structure
built by private financiers who
would be repaid from State oper-
ating revenues. They point out
that the State pays $500,000 each
year for Office rentals and that
these payments would ''buy" the
Office building within as years.
Com m ercial establishments
would be located on the ground
level and the rentals would go
toward repayment, along with
income from small parking fees.