Evening star., 1953-08-27
D. {. Heads Gel
Boundaries Of
New SIum Plan
Asked to OK Sturt
Of $22 Million Job
On 165-Acre Truct
By George Beveridee

The District Commissioners
were asked today to approve
boundaries for a new 165-acre,
$32-million redevelopment prof.
ect for Southwest Washington.
At the same time, the Rede-
velopment Land Agency asked
the city heads to indorse a re-
quest for a $375,000 Federal loan
to finance plans for the project.
The Housing and Home Finance
Agency will be asked to supply
the advance-planning loan.
The new project, designated
Area c, would be located just
for which plans are already de-
veloped. The new area would be
bounded by Maine avenue on
the west, 1 street on the north,
P street on the south, and Della
ware avenue, Canal street and
South Capitol street on the east.
Commissioners Must Approve.
A detailed plan for the project
will be drawn up by the National
Capital Planning Commission
The plan then must be approved
by the Commissioners at a pub
lie hearing before the RIA can
demoliSh Slum housing and sell
the cleared land to a private
developer for rebuilding.
John r. Searles, Jr., RIA di-
rector, said he hopes the public
hearing can be held early next
year.
While the project is more
than double the size of Area
B, Mr.. Searles said he hopes it
"can be carried out at a cost
to the public no greater than in
Area B."
Obviously, this was a refer
ence to the fact that Area c.
bordering the Potomac water
front-will be much more val
liable for private investment
than was Area B. Under rede-
velopment, the net public cost
in Federal and city money de-
pends largely on how much
money the private developer is
willing to pay for the cleared
land he gets from the RIA.
Mr.. Searles also said his
agency will explore the pos
sibility of rehabilitating some
structures in the C Area. In
Area B, virtually all structures
are to be demolished and rebuilt
completely.
Code Approach Explored.
The Commissioners, in their
new attack on slumS. are check
ing possibilities of improving the
city by code enforcement and
rehabilitation, as we'll as the
more drastic and costly rede-
velopment. Mr.. Searles said his
group and the planning COM
mission jointly will attempt to
earmark areas which might
benefit from each type of i'm
provement.
He pointed out that his agency
can play a vital part in re-
habilitation-the drastic i'm
provement of existing structures.
One problem in this field, be
said, is that often only a few
homes in a slum block are re-
habilitated. In order to interest
banks in financing such Jobs, the
entire block-or larger areas
should be covered. The RIA,
with it's land-acquiSition powers,
can make this possible.
To Search Titles.
OF the $375,000 the RIA hopes
to get to plan Area c. the largest
slice will go for appraiSalS and
title searches. Mr.. Searles said
the RIA staff will not be in
creased, but that about half of
it will work on the new project.
In the 76-acre Area B, mean
while, final title searches now are
under way, preparatory to the
acquisition of property.
Mr.. Searles said about 10 per
cent of the 500 property owners
in the area already have indi-
Gated voluntarily a desire to
complete sales to the RIA "at
the earliest possible date" The
agency is expected soon to make
preliminary purchase agree
ments. But final contracts are
not likely to be signed until after
a special three-judge court rules
on suits challenging the pro-
grams constitutionality.