Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-02-26
Dc. Acquires
Southwest
Land Title
Eminent Domain
Invoked First Time
For SIum Project
By George Beveridee

The Justice Department has
invoked Federal powers of emf
nent domain to give the District
Redevelopment Land Agency title
to all the properties in the city
block bounded by Third, Fourth.
H and I streets S.W.
The block. containing some of
the Southwest's worst slums, is
part of Area B, the 76-acre
pilot tract slated for Slum clear
ance and redevelopment in
Southwest Washington.
The Justice Department &C
ton. taken late yesterday. was
the first time powers of eminent
domain have been used here to
acquire land for redevelopment
purposes.
Altogether 131 lots are in the
block. Included are commercial
properties on Fourth street, resi-
dental units on other streets and
the meandering labyrinth of
alley dwellings known as Dixons
Court between the boundary
streets.
lO1 Lots Involved.
Actually. the Federal action
involves only 101 of the 131 lots.
The land agency already has
acquired title to the other 80
through negotiation with present
owners.
The titles were seized under a
Federal taking statute. Stimuli
taneously, the land agency posted
$500,606 with the U. S. District
Court for the District of Column
bia. This fund will be used to
pay present owners for the prop
erty.
The property owners can be
paid in one of two ways. Either
they can negotiate with the land
agency for a mutually agreeable
price, or they can ask for a court
settlement of the price. In the
event of negotiated settlements,
the land agency can withdraw
as much money as it needs from
the amount posted with the
court.
Notified by Letter.
Malcolm A. Burrows, land
agency deputy director. said let
tiers have been sent to the 81
owners of the 101 properties, ad-
vising them Of the action. He
stressed that the agency was
anxious to negotiate as many
purchases as possible
From the 80 properties already
purchased. Mr. Burrows said the
agency has relocated % families
in housing elsewhere. A total of
1913 families remain in the block.
All of these must be rehoused
before the existing properties can
be demolished. After demolition,
the land will be turned over to
a private investor. the Bush Con-
struction Co. of Norfolk. for re-
building in compliance with an
approved redevelopment plan.
The agency advertised today
for demolition bids on the block.
Bids must be submitted by
March IL.
Until demolition takes place,
meanwhile. the properties will
be managed for the land agency
on contract by a land manage
ment agent. The agent, Lloyd
r. Turner, has already taken
over the properties acquired by
negotiation.
Heaviest Populated Block.
Mr.. Burrows said the Fourth
street block was selected because
it was one of the heaviest popu-
lated in the B Area. and because
it is one of the first on which
the Bush Co. wants to build.
He staid no date has been es-
tabliShed for the start of build
ing. Neither, he said, has the
agency decided the next block
which it wants to acquire by
powers of eminent domain.
Federal court suits have been
filed by three owners of Fourth
street commercial property,
challenging legality of the Area
B redevelopment program. None
of thse properties, however are
within the block acquired by
eminent domain powers yester-
day.