Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-10-27
Plans to Beaufify
Plaza for Parking Area
Munsure Tells
OF Compromise
With Arts Unit
By WILLIAM A. MILLEN

1A<AAA<hAsA ~'-~@SN~e~e~
The General Services Admins.
|tration probably viii include Q
program for identifying the
Great Plaza, Immediately south
Of the District Building, but
keeping It as q parking area.
This was revealed today BY
GSA Administrator Edmund r.
Mansure. He wrote a letter TO
the Fine Arts Commission. which
had complained the present
parking facilities for some 1900
automobiles are unsightly and
|cluttering UP a park area. The
commission suggested GSA de-
Iyelop parking elsewhere and re-
store the Great Plaza to It's
original park purposes.
Mr.. Mansure pointed out park
ing Is at q premium In the
Government Triangle. bounded
by Fifteenth and Sixth streets
and Pennsylvania and Constitu-
ton avenues NV. He told the
commission there are no pos
|sibilities for developing addi-
tional parking in the area. be-
cause it is hemmed in by the
business district. the Ellipse and
the Mall.
The administrator informed
1.-THE commission he is sure park.
ling facilities at the Great Plaza
can be Handicapped to make 1t "as
attractive and beautiful as pos
lsible." He added. however. any
Isuch arrangement never would
fully satisfy the commission.
Text Of Letter
The full text of the letter Of
Mr.. Mansure to Chairman David
iE. Finley of the Fine Arts Conn
mission follows:
THANK you for your letter Of
the 9Th and appreciate very
much your comments regarding
the situation. The Great Plaza
has been given much thought
by GSA and preliminary plans
for its development were pre-
lpared some years ago. This de.
lvelopment will probably be o
part of the building plan for
Washington to be submitted BY
IGSA to the Congress In Jan.
luary. .
I'VE recognize and accept the
desirable aims proposed by the
Commission Of Fine Arts. but
sometimes these must give way
Ito more practical considerations.
First. the public transportation
system provides only for about
$50 per cent or less of the popu-
lation using this area: second,
there is increasing diSSatisfac-
ton with public transportation:
third. through numerous car
pools Government employees have
built up private transportation
system requiring adequate park
ling space. and fourth, to disrupt
this private system would throw
ia burden on the public system
which 1t cannot absorb.
With reference to your com.
missions recommendation to de-
velop parking facilities else
where, we are faced in the Tri-
angle Area with the most seri-
GUS lack Of parking facilities in
Washington. There are no pos
sibilities in the intensely oc-
icupied business district to the
north. and both the Ellipse and
the Mall are considered sacro-
Sanct. We are in effect com.
|pletely hemmed in.
Planned for Years
I'VE propose that parking
facilities be planned for. the
Great Plaza in the maximum
amount possible consistent with
reasonable cost. Plans should
include provision for landscaping
the area to make it as attrac-
tive and beautiful as possible.
We are sure this can be done
|cleverly and pleasingIy, never
perhaps to the full satisfaction
Iof the commission, but COM
|pletely satisfactory to other
needs"
GSA officials pointed out that
for many years GSA has had
plans to use the Great Plaza
site to complete the building,
which would be a companion,
intellectually. to the Labor De-
Ipartment Building.
The District Building and the
old Southern Railway Building,
now occupied by the Coast
Guard. have, under long
plans. been slated to be torn
down. as well as the old Post
Once Department Building at
Twelfth street and Pennsylvania
avenue NV. to complete the