Evening star., 1954-01-14
Redeve|opers Fear
Reaches Run Span
May Ruin Gateway
By George Beveridge


The District Redevelopment
Land Agency, stepping into the
Potomac River bridge fight, has
concluded that the proposed
Reaches Run bridge would have
adverse effects upon redevelop-
ment in Southwest Washington.
Viewing the bridge dispute en-
tirely from its impact on rede-
velopment. the agency leans to-
ward q new bridge at E street
NV. as against Reaches Run.
according to Chairman John A.
Remon.
The Reaches Run span, to
cross the river just below, the
existing Fourteenth street bridge
network, is favored by the Ma
tional Capital Planning Commis-
sion. An E street bridge is the
District Highway Departments
choice.
Closed Door Meeting.
The bridge views were ex-
pressed during a closed-door
land agency board meeting yes
terday. Of1cials told reporters
about it later.
Mr.. Remon said the reason for
getting into the bridge contro-
versy was limited to a fear that
a Reaches Run span would fur
ther endanger the development
of Tenth street S.W. as major
traffic gateway to a rebuilt
Southwest area.
Strangely. before the Reaches
Run proposal, the land agency
and the planning commission
had been allied against the
Highway Department on the
Tenth street issue. Here. as out
lined by land agency officials, is
the situation that led up to the
agency'S expressions yesterday:
l. Plans prepared for the land
agency advocate that Tenth
street be used as an attractive
approach road to the South
west. The feeling is that such
an approach would greatly en-
nance the value of property near
the rebuilt Southwest waterfront.
2. The Highway Department,
however, long has planned to
build a bridge over Washington
Channel to connect existing
Fourteenth street bridges to the
proposed Southwest Freeway
IF street, and Tenth street.
Highway officials have con-
tended Tenth street could not
serve both this purpose and be a
major Southwest gateway.
Blank on Plans.
This controversy has been un-
resolved to the point that Tenth
street development has been
left a blank on the latest re-
development maps.
Land agency officials feel that,
with the Reaches Run proposal,
however, the planning commits
sion has yielded in its support
of Tenth street as. a Southwest
gateway. The Reaches Run plan,
land agency officials said, con-
templates that its traffic would
cross the river, East Potomac
Park and the washington Chan
mel to tie into the Southwest
freeway and Tenth street.
Every developer, investor and
planning consultant we've had
agrees Tenth street is vital to
serve the Southwest" said Land
Agency Director John r. Searles,
jr. Now, it looks like the plan
ming commission has given up on
Tenth street."
Mr.. SearleS said his agency
has strong hopes of working out
differences with the Highway
Department but that the new
bridge proposal would make it
much more difficult"
Planning commission officials.
Informed Of yesterdays action,
said they are confident a salts
factory solution can be worked
out in the Southwest.
Purchases Authorized.
In other actions, meanwhile,
the land agency:
/. Authorized that $79,450 be
spent to buy IA additional prop
critics from private owners in the
project B area-the first section
to be redeveloped. The pur-
chases will bring the total prop:
critics purchased up to Al, at a
cost of $160,55O.
2. Authorized Mr.. Searles to
advertise for bids for the demo-
lition of area B properties.
3. Decided to invest in short
term bonds some of the money
1t has acquired in Federal grants
and loans-and doesn't need i'm
mediately-in order to offset
partially interest payments on
the money.