Evening star., 1954-05-07
Planners Revise
boundariesof
S|un1 Project
Change to EnobIe
Master Plan for
Southwest Area
By George Beveridee

" 0SVt9e OSVeItO9e
The National Capital Planning
Commission voted today to revise
boundaries of the second South
west Washington redevelopment
project to cover nearly all the
vast area between Independence
avenue and Washington Chan
mel and between South Capitol
and Twelfth streets S.W.
The revision must be approved
formally by the District Commits
SionerS. Redevelopment Land
Agency officials said they will ask
for such approval at a meeting
next Tuesday.
The change. virtually assured
today, means that detailed plans
for clearing slums and rebuild
ing the entire Southwest can be
put in one master plan.
To Avoid Stumbling Block.
Previously, the planners and
city heads had approved a much
smaller project as the second re-
development job. But it was rec
ognized that the difficulty of
planning structures without
knowing what would adjoin them
was a major stumbling block.
Excluded from the revised area
will be the 76-acre Area B near
South Capitol and I streets. on
which planning already is we'll
under way. and a two-block
stretch east of Twelfth street
containing the produce market.
The new area includes the
350-acre section for which the
New York firm of Webb g.
Knapp has proposed a dramatic
redevelopment scheme. Com
mission Chairman Harland Bar
tholomew said it would enable
planners to clear up the whole
area and not leave any loose
ends"
Conrad Wirth, National Park
Service Director, baked at in
cluding three blocks of Inde-
pendence avenue which are part
of the Capitol grounds. But the
commission voted to include
them with the understanding
that they can be knocked out if
Capitol authorities object.
The new area also includes
such Federal buildings as the
Department of Health, Educa-
ton and Welfare south of Inde-
pendence avenue which obvious
ly will be left intact. But the
Slum area in that immediate
section will get close attention.
Other Actions Included.
In other actions touching on
the redevelopment picture, the
commission:
l. Decided to meet at the
earliest practical date with Webb
& Knapp officials to discuss the
NcW 1OrkeTS plan.
2. Accepted an agreement
under which the Redevelopment
Land Agency will give the PLAN
ners $4,000 to start planning
the big new area.
The commission also tenta-
lively approved a highway plan
for handling rush hour traffic
to and from the East Capitol
Street Bridge, due for compile
tion late next year. and heard
a report on major projects the
commission should take up.
The report, proposed by spe-
cial study committee, suggested:
l. Detailed planning for the
location of dispersed Federal
centers to hold
about $4,000 workers now housed
in temporary buildings.
2. Special studies of "land-use
controls" nelghborhood plans for
redevelopment,and other matters
as part of the forthcoming zon-
ing ordinance revision.
3. A more detailed plan for the
so-called inner-belt highway sys-
tenn and a detailed study of
bridge and street problems re-
lated to U. S. Route 240 west Of
Washington.
New Street Proposals.
The new street proposals to
serve the East Capitol street
bridge were worked out jointly
by commission and District high
way technicians with the idea OF
street widenings and
other construction to a minimum.
The result was an elaborate pat
tern of one-way traffic move
ments, some alternating in diff
ferent directions for morning and
evening traffic.
Only five street widenings were
They include Inde-
oendence avenue between Second
street Sc. and Third street S.W.,
independence between Fifteenth
md Nineteenth streets Sc. the
on Fifteenth and c
treetS NE, the northern route
lround Stanton Square and
Constitution avenue between
second street NE. and Delaware
venue.
The main city-bound routes
rom the bridge wilk be c street
lie. and Constitution and In
dependence avenues. The main
outbound routes will be c street
;.E. and Constitution and Inde-
'endence avenues.