Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-12-22
Developers AssaiI
Foggy Bottom Plans
Project Is Seen
frightening Off
Investors

launched a frontal attack to pre-.
vent classification of Washing
tons Foggy Bottom neighbour
hood as an urban renewal area.
| They warned the District
Commissioners at public meet
ing that such a designation
might frighten private investors
into withdrawing from the null
ti-million-dollar Potomac Plaza
apartment house and hotel prof.
lect there.
Marvin Coles, one Of the five
members Of the syndicate PLAN
ming the private project, de-
clared that If the area being
purchased from the Washington
Gas Light Co. is included in a
redevelopnent area. as recon-
mended by the National Capital
Planning Commission. 81 per-
sonally would have very grave
doubts about proceeding"
Trade Board Official
He was backed up by William
H. Press. executive secretary of
the Washington Board of Trade,
who said Board committees ia.
vored the Potomac Plaza oeve4-
Iopment and would oppose any
urban renewal in the area.
Harvey Jones. president Of the
Washington Real Estate Board,
Endorsed the position, as did
Charles l.. Norris, jr., secretary
Iof the real estate firm of Wood
ward & Norris.
William T.. Hannah, attorney
for Peoples Life Insurance Co..
which plans a $3-4 million ma
Itional headquarters building in
the area. contended that land
there has been increased in value
recently to from $40 to $40 o
square foot.
! He declared: This needs no
planning, this needs hands off,"
/ John L. Smith, attorney and
owner of property north of H
street between Twenty-fifth and
Twenty sixth streets, Joined in
Opposition to the plan. He de-
clared $4,000 square feet of land
zoned first commercial have been
assembled and that a national
association is negotiating for
construction of q headquarters
building there.
/ Oscar Berry, attorney for the
Washington Gas Light Co., said
the Potomac Plaza developers
had purchased two of 10 acres
in the region which the gas
company has had on the market
for seven years. The developers,
he said, have an option to buy
the remaining eight acres. He
added that if enough concern
land uncertainty develops, as e
result of inclusion of the props
erty in an urban renewal plans
ming area. the interested stock
holders may withdraw. They
won't take the risk if they see
clouds on the horizon obscuring
the end"
:. Norman Glasgow. attorney for
the developers. charged the
Urban Renewal Act deals only
with slums and blighted struc-
lures and did not contemplate
this type of area"
Projects Now Planned
He said the developers plan q
SIS million apartment building,
ia $40 million combination med
; ical and general Office building
and later a hotel project and
lde luxe apartment project, for
which tenants are now being
sought.
/ The area originally proposed
for urban renewal planning is
that which lies north of Vir-
GINA avenue. Help of the Gov
eminent agencies was requested
by the Foggy Bottom Restora-
. ton Association, which has been
privately rehabilitating houses in
the area.
! The Redevelopment Land
Agency Endorsed the request. but
the National Capital Planning
Commission expanded the zone
radically. even taking in the gas
company site.
I Mr.. Glasgow urged that the
area south of Virginia avenue
be excluded from the project
boundaries which the District
Commissioners were asked to APP
prove.
City Heads Uncertain
). The city heads, who took the
. problem under consideration,
said fatty they did not know
: whether such an exclusion would,
, cause a delay by requiring the
proposal to be returned to the
Planning Commission.
I John J. Gunther, president Of
the Restoration Association.
asked for immediate approval Of
the boundaries, telling the Com
missioners they could later ex-
clude any portions.
John Nolen, executive director
Iof the Planning Commission,
commended that the Commits
sioners' approval of the boun-
diaries would merely permit the
Redevelopment Land Agency
and the Commission to ask for
Federal planning and survey
funds. Private development. he
, said. would not be restricted in
, any way until final plan for
the area is ultimately approved
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