Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-10-05
U. S. Seeks End
To Mall TeTllpos
In IS Years
Federal Building
In Area Will Totol
Over $500 Million
BY WILLIAM A. MILLEN

million in the next three to I'VE
years and elimination Of All
temporary buildings south of
Constitution avenue has been
promised by the General Serv-|
Ices Administration.
Peter A. Strobel. the Commits
sioner Of Public Buildings Serv-|
ice. told the Washington Metro
|politan Chapter Of the American
Institute Of Architects about this
program at . meeting in the
Burlington Hotel yesterday.
In the construction Of new
Federal buildings, he said, enough
space win be provided to elimi-
nate all the temporary buildings
south Of Constitution avenue and
around the Mall IN the next three
70 i've years.
He said the "tempos" win be
torn down, not only because they
are eyesores, but also because
|of their locations. Oficials want
Ito clear the Mall vista again.
he said.
Mr.. Strobel pointed out that
|in some Of the legislation pro-
|viding for the new buildings,
Congress has made It mandatory
that an equal number Of square
feet represented by temporary
buildings be demolished.
Lists New Buildings
The commissioner gave this
rundown on buildings to be put
lup soon: The new headquarters
for the Atomic Energy Commits
sion. the Central Intelligence
Agency, q VERY large extension
/ to the new State Department"
land the Museum Of History and
Technology Of the Smithsonian
institution.
In addition, he declared GSA
has under consideration q new
Federal ONCE Building In the
Southwest to cost around $40
million. and q new headquarters
flor the Civil Service Commission,
costing about $40 million. He
said these two projects are all
ready before the public works
committees Of Congress.
Other new Federal buildings
protected here. Mr.. Strobei said.
lare q new home for the Coast
and Geodetic Survey. the Wealth
Ter Bureau and the Geological
Survey. No costs on these are
yet available.
Protective Construction
Congress has not seen At TO
llet us have money anywhere
for protective construction" Mr.,
lStrobel said, referring to stoutly
built structures calculated to re-
lsist atomic blasts. ..But I do moi
think this win be dropped. We
Ican get worthwhile protection
flor . reasonable amount Of
money"
/ Mr.. Strobel pointed out that
1.-THE new museum for the Smith
Esonian, to be built along Con-
stitution avenue, between Twelfth
and Fourteenth streets NV. will
automatically cause two tenn
Iporary buildings to be erased
HE said the legislation providing
flor the new CHA building re-
lquires that an equal amount Of
space occupied by temporary
buildings be removed. That
Iagency occupies some 80 build
Iihgs or so. many Of them tenn
Iporary structures.
| The Commissioner declared
lGSA controls $50 million square
fleet Of Government space over
1.-THE Nation. 46 million Of 1t in the
Washington area.
Facilities Outstripped
/ For longer than is years. he
lsaid, there was no definite pro-
Igram for Federal public build
lings. although q few were planned
land constructed. Because of this
lag. while the number Of Federal
lemployes was increasing from
Ill million to "a million, the de-
Inland for additional space has
greatly exceeded facilities.
| Mr.. Strobel referred to the
Lease Purchase Act. under which
1.-THE Federal Government viii
contract with private enterprises
to construct new public buildings
land use rent money over 10 to
I25 years to acquire them.
''This Is the tool we win most
likely be using in the near fu-
iture to obtain q building pro-
gram" he declared.