Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-12-16
Planners Weigh
Inner Loop Plea

/ Pleas by private developers
THAT the Districts inner loop ex-
lpressway be kept away from two
lmulti-million dollar commercial
projects in Foggy Bottom were
considered tcoay by the Nation
al Capital Planning Commits
ision.
The controversial highway
location was the first order of
business on a busy agenda which
also called for action by the
planners on.
I. Southwest redevelopment.
Up for approval win be q plan
showing the use Of each block in
the 400-acre Zeckendorf re-
building proposal. Still TO be
resolved. however. is a site for
1.-THE proposed Smithsonian Air
Museum which would not con-
fiict with the redevelopment
plan.
q. the Central Intelligence
IAgencyx proposed new building
site at Langley. Va.
Three Possible Routes
The planners yesterday heard
arguments for and against three
possible routes for the proposed
inner loop expressway in Foggy
Bottom.
One Of the routes, recon-
lmended by District highway
lconnlltants, would swing east Of
1.-THE Potomac Plaza apartment
lofice building project on the
lold Washington Gas Light Co.
property and also miss q pro-
posed building project Of the
Peoples Iife Insurance Co. It
would, however. cut through
three blocks owned by the
George washington University
lust west of Twenty-third street
INV. and south Of Washington
lCircle.
/ The other two routes would
Iaffect the Peoples Life and
Potomac Plaza projects. but
leave the George Washington q,
property untouched.
| Spokesman for the two COM
lmercial projects argued that
they have invested large sums In
assembling land for their prof.
lects, and that construction was
Imminent on each.
| Henry w. Herzog, George
washington University treasurer
largued, however. that the Dis
trict consultants' route would
destroy land the university
needed for expansion projects
With expansion, he said, the uni
versity could grow from $4,000
students to 10000, which also
would bring the city financial
benefits.
1--WE don't like to have prop
erty that cost us 81 million taken
from Us and then have to spend
l$5 million or So million for land
somewhere else" he declared.
Harry Merrick, representative
1.-THE Washington Board Of Trade.
supported the Potomac Plaza
land Peoples Life projects as the
kind Of new business ventures
the board has been trying to
ATTRACT to the Capital.
Route Costs Estimated
The planners also heard q re-
lport-which carried no recon-
|mendation-from a staff COM
mittee made up Of Federal and
District agency technicians
Based on present property value
assessments, the report esti-
mated that right-of-way acqui-
Isition costs for the District con-
lsultants' route would be $3.7 mil.
lion. as against $40 million and
1927 million for the two alternate
routes.
In other actions yesterday, the
FLAMING Commission:
| /. Voted approval Of a site for
Ia statue Of Simon Bolivar. to be
presented by the Venezuelan
government as a gesture Of
friendship to the United States.
1.-The site Is a grassy plot in front
lof the Interior Department
building, bounded by Virginia
Iayenue and G and Eighteenth
streets NV.
| 2. Approved temporary WASH
lington street connections for the
proposed Constitution avenue
bridge over the Potomac near the
Lincoln Memorial. The tempo
lrary connections would serve
until the inner loop expressway
system is built.