Evening star., 1954-10-13
Keping Chiefs Told
Giles Must Put Blight
Areas 70 New Uses
By Robert J. Lewis
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By Robert J. Lewis
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PHILADELPHIA, Oct. Isl
William zeckendorf, New York
real esate figure who proposes
redevelopment Of about $50 acres
Of Washington's Southwest Sec
ton, told the Nations housing
officials here today the future Of
American cities hinges on will
ingness to rejuvenate blighted
and outmoded areas within the
cities.
Speaking at q session at which
large redevelopment projects for
Chicago and Philadelphia, as
well as the Washington project,
were outlined, Mr.. Zeckendorf
said he considered the Washing
ton project an "antidote to con-
tinued deterioration of the city's
central core"
Former United States Senator
Francis j. Myers. chairman of
the Philadelphia Redevelop-
ment Authority. described that
city's 3,000-acre Eastwick project
to reclaim marshland and other
blighted areas.
Earl Kribben, vice president Of
Marshall Field & Co., told Of
plans for reclamation of about
$50 acres of land in downtown
Chicago.
Seek to Inspire Others.
Mr.. zeckendorf told the Ma
tional Association of Housing
and Redevelopment officials his
plan for Washington is q
private capital venture with no
subsidy sought" and that it is
an undertaking with the profit
motive as q basis
"Our interest however, goes far
beyond the profit motive" he
said. "We are interested also
in doing something that will be
an inspiration for private capital
In other parts of the country"
Mr.. Zeckendorf, who heads the
firm Of Webb g. Knapp, said his
firm has never done any Gov
ernment work in The past. He
said he is tremendously excited"
at the challenge presented by
the Southwest Redevelopment
Project.
Challenges: Stick to Facts.
In another address, the Eisen-
hover administrations highest
public housing official went on
record as sharply challenging
organized real estate men to
"stick to the facts" in a
new battle they intend to wage
against public housing through
out the country.
In one of the most outspoken
references of it's kind by a high
Federal official in many years,
Public Housing Commissioner
Charles E. Slusser declared:
LET us face a blunt fact:
Whatever argument is needed to
discredit public housing will be
employed by its opponents, and
to borrow time-honored phrase
the truth for them will be
whatever they can loudly assert Is
and boldly maintain"
Appreciates Criticism.
Decrying tactics Of the Ma
tional Association of Real Estate
Boards in the past, Mr.. slusser
said:
"As long as NAREB spokesmen
stick to the facts, appreciate
their constructive criticism and
viii take steps to correct anyt
errors they may have spotted. If
they persist in distortion, if they
approach fraud, then think they
will find in me a real estate man
who has no intention of letting
them pull the wool over his eyes
or any one else's."
Mr.. Slusser, a Republican, at
one time was a real estate
broker in Ohio and is former
Mayor Of Akron.
The association is planning q
Nationwide campaign to en-
courage holding of referenda in
cities as a means of permitting
the sale of existing public
housing projects to private
owners.
Legislation authorizing sales by
that means is contained in the
1854 housing act.
Chance to Vote Hailed.
Mr.. Slusser said he welcomed
the opportunity for every city
to vote on whether it wants to
deprive itself of Federally aided
low rent public housing"
'In welcoming such q battle,
however, I have no intention of
being a nice Nellie.'" Mr.. Slusser
said.
The best defense for low
rent public housing is the un-
vanished story of what it has
done. Public housing is one
excellent method of fighting
slums and their expense; it is
one vital factor in regenerating
families lost in a hopeless en-
vironment; it Is an essential part
Of the Nations slum clearance
and urban renewal program, and
it is the only means of providing
decent housing for families too
poor to buy or rent it in the pri-