Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-09-27
Area B Bidders OK.
y. S. Financing Plan
All Three Agree.
To Federal
Decisions

G@tStgbbS
BY GEORGE BEyERIDGE
All three Of the private In.
vestors seeking the job Of res
building Southwest Washineton's
pilot Area B redevelopnnent prof.
ect have agreed in general TO
go along with Federal ofiiciaiss
decisions on financing and
planning the project.
The three noted their posi-
tons In questionnaires, drawn
up by the District Redevelop-
mient Land Agency, which must
select q winner from among the
three rebuilding proposals SUBJ
United.
All Plans Praised
All three proposals have been
praised, and the Ria board sent
the questionnaires to try to mar.
row down as many factors as
possible.
Two of the investors, a Wash.
ington group headed by q builder.
Stewart Bainunl, and a New York
syndicate. j. II. Scheuer and
Roger 1. Stevens. unqualifledly
agreed to 90 along with four
E'iffy" questions asked by RIA.
The third. q group headed BY
washington lumber dealer !. 8.
Turnover. also answered the ques-
lions affirn1ativelyb but qualified
them with o number Of condi-
lions.
To what extent the Turnover
qualifications viii figure In the
RLA's decision is q key factor
but unknown at this time.
The RIA board wrestled yes
terday with the knotty job Of
picking q winner. It will make
another attempt ct q closed ses-
sion q week from today.
Questions Indicated
The following Is the sense Of
the questions. released today.
which were asked Of each bid.
der:
/. Are you willing to lease land
for an all-residential project.
without any retail shopping de.
velopment In Area B?
tFederal planners have de.
|cided 10 eliminate proposed re-
tain development from Area 3
because q shopping center Is
learinarked Immediately south of
Area B in the plan proposed BY
William Zeckendorf for rebuild-
ing the rest Of the Southwest.
The three Area B bidders, how.
ever. have submitted proposals
lon the basis Of both housing and
shopping within Area 3D.
2. Are you willing to pay RIA
Ian annual ground rental for all
THE residential land - including
the three acres previously ear.
marked for retail development--
based on Federal Housing Adj
IfniniStration estimates Of the
lands value?
CHA has estimated the land
value at an average of SITS
per square foot. II proposed
that the ground rental be
equal To ~ per cent Of the
estimated land value. Each Of
the bidders has submitted
rental offers based on his own
estimates.)
8. Are you willing to increase
the ground rental If FILA sug.
gests q higher value?
4. Since retail development is
to be eliminated, are you willing
to revise development plans you
have submitted to I'd conform
closely to the rebuilding pattern
proposed for the rest of the
Southwest In the zeckendoff
plan, CD permit RIA to PIN
point location Of certain apart
ment buildings and (3) go along
with q possible reduction in the
maximum 800 dwelling units
originally. proposed for Area b?
EIaborates ON Accord
While the Bainurn and Scheuer-
Stevens groups answered yes
to each question, Mr.. Turnover
wrote the RIA board an elab-
Grafton on his general agree
ment to 60 along with each.
On the removal Of retail shop
ping from Area B. Mr.. Turnover
insisted that he'd be able to par@
ticipate financially in part OF the
Zeckend0rf shopping center and
on assurance that retail facilities
be finished by the time Area 3
housing is ready for occupancy.
Opposes Some Locations
On possible revisions in the
rebuilding plan he has submit-
ted, Mr.. Turnover:
/. Agreed to make his plan
'harmonize entirely" with the
ynnlxay1<2Nf.f xHlos, Alec q 0ron1 xf