Evening star., 1955-01-07
Strong Drive Begun
For U. 5. Buildings
In Southwest Area
By George Beyeridos

#eb BPcCkItC hutGDfItJ 1Ko2u AULA~
gress for construction Of new
Federal buildings In Washing
toms Southwest. redevelopnent
area.
The bill. to be introduced
Monday by Representative
Auchincloss. Republican. Of New
Jersey win call for the new Office
structures TO replace eyesore
Federal temporary buildings on
the Mall.
There has been q question,
which now appears to be nearing
IN answer. as to whether author
ity for the new buildings should
be sought through the existing
Federal L,ease-Purchase Act or
through q brand new bill cover
ing only the Southwest situation.
Favor Lease Purchase.
General Services Administra-
tion officials said last October
they felt the existing Lease
Purchase Act was the best
method. They announced this
after q series Of meetings with
officials Of the New York firm
Of Webb g. Knapp. which wants
TO handle q big part Of the
Southwest rebuilding job.
Webb & Knapp ofiicials, how
ever, now are standing firmly
behind the Auchincloss proposal.
Peter A. Strobel, Public Build
ings Commissioner. said today he
knows Of no basic GSA opposi-
tion to the Auchincloss approach.
He said. however, that the mat
ter win be discussed by officials
Of qSA and the New York firm
ct Q meeting In about two weeks.
''Basically, I think we are all
IN agreement on trying to work
out what is needed he said.
That's the way I'd like to ap-
proach It,"
Mr.. Auchincloss met with
Webb q Knapp representatives
yesterday to put the finishing
touches on his bin. Generally,
1t will consist OF minor amend-
lients to q measure he intro
duced In the waning days Of the
ESD Congress.
The bill would empower GSA
10 acquire new building sites In
the Southwest redevelopment
area, and to enter contracts with
private builders for the Govern
Iment TO lease the structures for
Q specific term Of years. After
that period, title to the properties
would vest in the United States.
The bill will provide that al,
equal amount Of tempo space be
demolished for the new build
ings constructed.
The measure does not say how
extensive the program would be.
but GSA would have to clear
all contracts with the House
and Senate Public Works Com.
mittees. And appropriations
would have to be sought.
Requires Federal Structures.
Webb q Knapp has insisted
that some Federal buildings
must accompany proposals the
firm will submit for new South
west residential and commercial
construction. Ofilcials have
talked In terms Of about 1.6 mil
Lion square feet Of Federal space.
Meanwhile, In addition 10
dSA the new Auchincloss draft
VIII be sent to the National
Capital Planning Commission
and to the District Commits
sioners for study. Webb q
Knapp ID working out its pro-
posals with the Federal PLAN I
z1ers, who must adopt any re-
development plan TO make it
ofiicial.
Last year. in q report on the,
original Auchincloss bill. the
planners said they felt they
should have q part in its pro-
visions. They are expected to
be brought into the picture more
directly by the new bill.
The city heads indorsed the
original Auchincloss bill "in
principle" but said last year
they wanted Qualification on
some Of its points. One report-
edly was q provision that the
new Federal buildings would be
tax-free, but thatduring the
period the Government was
leasing them-GSA would nav
the city money based on present
tax values "in lieu Of taxes"
Cites ODM Requirements.
At . hearing last August, Mr..
Gtrobel also questioned whether
the. proposed Federal buildings
would comply with Once Of De-
fense Mobilization policies on
the location of new Government
structures.
On August II. however, ODM
Director Flemming wrote the
House Public Works Committee
that there was no objection to
the construction OF Federal
buildings there to house ,actiyi-
ties that would not be essential
In time Of war
The Flemming letter. which
followed top-level administra-
tion conference on the subject,
also put in q strong plug for re-
moving the tempos. declaring:
Demolition Of the temporary
buildings is desirable not
only for aesthetic reasons, but
also from the security considera-
tion Of eliminating facilities that
are extremely vulnerable to
AneFnv attach and Are ha1orrIs -