Evening star., 1955-05-27
Pedagogical
For Southwest
Gains Support
Stevens, Manhattan
Finoneier, Figures in
New Area B Offer
BY GEORGE BEVERIDGE

A new one-package proposal
by a New York syndicate to take
over rebuilding of Washington S
pilot Area B Southwest Rede-
velopment Project was given
tentative Endorsement by the
District Redevelopment Land
Agency today.
Action by the board does not
bind that agency to final ac-
ceptance of the New Workers
proposition.
But the board agreed not to
"close" any contract with any
other developers interested in
Area B during a 45-day period
in which the New York group
will prepare a specific develop
ment plan.
During this period, the RIA
reserved the right to receive any
additional proposals-and made
plain that it expects some, in
cluding one from a Washington
syndicate.
The new proposal was sub
mitted in the wake of Norkfolk
builder Ralph E. Bush's recent
withdrawal from the 76-aclS
project. Proposing a 100000
annual rental on nearly all of
the Area B land, the new pro-
posal was made by:
Roger L. Stevens. New York
and Detroit financler, real es-
tate developer and successful
Broadway producer. His real
estate deals include purchase
of the Empire State Building
several years ago. Currently. he
is associated on several deals
but not in Washington-with
William Zeckendorf, who wants
to rebuild the rest of the South
west Washington redevelopment
area.
James H. Scheuer, New York
attorney and executive of sew
eral large real estate manage
ment and development firms IN
New York and elsewhere. The
firms are actively engaged in
several urban renewal" reha-
bilitation projects.
ID. C. Firm Included
Also associated with the syn
dicate. if the proposal goes
through. Mr.. Scheuer said, will
be Nathaniel S. Keith, consultant
and coauthor of the Districts
new urban renewal" program,
and the Washington architec-
tural firm of Keyes, Smith. Sat-
terlee & Lethbridge.
The New Yorkers' proposal, &C
cepted by the Ria today.
agreed to:
!. Prepare within IS days a
new "site plan and building
plan" for all the residential and
retail business areas in the prof.
ect. This covers most of the
site, and precisely the amount
that Mr.. Bush's rebuilding plan
had covered.
2. Enter a long-term lease
with Ria for land on which the
new structures would be built.
subject to FHA financing sat
isfactory to us"
3. Offer to pay total annual
ground rent of $4,000 for resi-
dental land and $4,000 for
retail land. subject to a market
survey" to be made during the
next As days. RIA officials said
this amount is about 10 per
cent above the ground rental
Mr.. Bush had proposed paying.
The lease probably would extend
"at least 40 or so years." officials
said.
4. Operate new housing in
Area B on "a nondiscriminatory
basis" give former occupants of
the area "a preference in occu-
pancy" and "use local labor. ma
terials, sub-contractors and f.
nancing to the maximum extent
feasible"
Other Bids Possible
John r. Searles. jr., RIA di-
rector, warned the New Workers
at today's meeting that they are
running a risk that a better
offer than yours might come
in"
Mr.. Searles praised several
features in the Stevens-Scheuer
proposal as "very attractive.
One of them was agreement
by the New Yorkers, after their
redevelopment plan is drawn, to
have local investors bid on per-
haps 20 to 80 per cent of the
rebuilding job if the RIA re-
quests this action. In that event,
however, the New York group
reserved the right, if it chooses,
to beat any such offer by at
least S per cent.
John A. Remon, RIA board
chairman, said his agency want
ed to make certain that the
New Yorkers would agree to do
See SOUTHWEST Pare Ak