Evening star., 1955-02-04
Tentative Approval
Given by Planners 10
S.W. Mall Revision
By George Beveridge

The National Capital Plan
ming Commission today voted
tentative approval" of the COM
mittee plan which makes drastic
revisions in the Zeckendorf pro-
posal for redeveloping South
west Washington.
The plan sets forth new sys-
tenn for handling traffic in
Southwest and shifts from
Tenth to Ninth streets a park
like, 300 -foot-wide "south mall"
proposed by William Zeckendorf
to serve as an attractive en-
trance to the area between In
dependence avenue and the
Washington Channel.
Mr.. Zeckendorf's firm, Webb
e. Knapp of New York. con-
sistently has threatened to pull
out of the redevelopment pro-
gram unless the Tenth street
mall principle is accepted.
Statement Due Today.
Importance of the move
today will hinge directly on
whether Webb g. Knapp is able
to make the new plan concur
with their ideas on the redevelop-
ment project. Mr.. zeckendorf
was expected to make a state
ment later today.
The planning commission vote
OF tentative approval today was
taken after two members, Dis
trict Engineer Commissioner
Thomas A. Lane and John A.
Romon. unsuccessfully tried to
halt any expression Of sentiment
Immediately on the plan.
Col. Lane said the District mas
highway consultants at work on
traffic studies which may dras-
tically affect the committees
findings. He also urged that
Webb & Knapp's reaction be
awaited and contended that the
plan presupposed construction of
a six-lane Potomac River bridge
from Reaches Run. Va.
Mall Stand Explained.
The new plan, in response
to that request, emerged from a
study by a three-man commits
sion committee, composed of
Conrad L. Wirth. National Park
Service chief; Leon Zach. repre-
sentlng the Chief of Army Engi-
neers, and H. j. Spelman. Bu-
reau of Public Roads district en-
gineer.
The committee cited several
reasons for rejecting the Tenth
street mall. But its basic one
was that Tenth street is needed
to handle heavy through traffic
which is projected to pour
through Southwest from Poto-
mac bridges and the new South
west f street, freeWay.
Zeckendorf officials want the
mall to be free of such through
traffic, and handle only local
traffic. One reason they are so
insistent about the Tenth street
location is that their mall would
easily pass over the Pennsyl-
vania Railroad tracks at that
point. The unsightly tracks,
traversing the Southwest, under
pass the existing Tenth street,
but rise sharply east OF it.
Propose Moving Tracks. :
To meet this objection, the
planners committee proposed
that the tracks be either %
moved and put underground
near D street S.W. between
Fourth and Twelfth, or (2) that
a Ninth street mall be built over
the tracks as they now exist.
The committee said cost of the
relocation-which would be ex-
tremely expensive-should be
gauged against a number of
advantages. But it insisted the
Ninth street mall could be built
over the existing tracks if
necessary.
The 2,000-word committee re-
port said its new plan could
readily adapt itself" to ANY
proposal for redevelopment of
the Southwest area"
But it added:
1T was also evident from
these studies that the success
full redevelopment did not
depend upon a mall specifically
located at Tenth street: how
ever, it does depend upon proper
handling Of the abnormal traffic
that must traverse this area"
Part of this abnormal
traffic" the committee said, was