Evening star., 1955-05-29
SurveySuggests
Transfer ofS.W
Food Market
Consultont Proposes
Action If Zeckendorf
Plan Is Adopted
BY GEORGE BEVERIDGE

ASJ SAOASNA A~~ A|A~~e~ STA@
Complete removal Of Washing
tons big Southwest waterfront
wholesale food market, in the
event the Zeckendorf redevelop-
ment plan is adopted, was rec
commended in a consultant's re-
port yesterday.
This finding, likely to rekindle
an old controversy, was reached
after a brief but intensive study
by the Washington real estate
consulting firm of Frederick M.
Babcock & Co.
The study was ordered by the
District T Redevelopment Land
Agency. It covered the water
front fish market and wholesale
food area between Tenth and
Fourteenth streets and Maine
and Maryland avenues S.W.
There, about 100 food-handling
firms - ostly wholesale and
storage - and a score OF other
businesses exist on District and
privately owned land.
NCPC Backs Preservation
Preservation, and even expan-
sion, of the market area gen.
orally has been pushed by the
National Capital Planning Com
mission in its long-range city
development plans.
But conflicting highway pro-
posals in the William Zecken-
dorf redevelopment proposal for
the Southwest led the RIA to
| try to find out effects on the city
and business interests involved
if part or all of the area should
be included in the clearance
and-rebuilding project.
The Babcock study also dis
closed that larger property
owners in the area initiated"
\alks about the possibility be-
,ause they feel relocation Of the
facilities is feasible and desir-
able"
Lists Findings
Mr.. Babcock said the one
month study did not give his
firm time to demonstrate be-
yond question the validity OF
our conclusions" But he con-
tended there was a high degree
of plausibility" in these findings:
l. II the Zeckendorf plan is
adopted, the food area will be
disrupted and should be acquired.
In this event. the entire market
area should be taken-it should
not be split up.
2. II an earlier Planning Com
mission highway proposal-keep-
ing major traffic out of the mar
ket areas adopted. the market
area probably need not be re-
moved.
3. In any event. the highway
and bridge requirements finally
decided upon should take alb
solute priority over every other
land need" and be the deciding
factor.
| 4.Cost of acquiring the market
properties probably would range
from $7.2 million to $50 million
"a far cry from widely published
previous estimates ranging from
| $25 to $40 million.
5. Removal Of all the facili-
ties, which now produce about
$153,00O annually in rental and
tax revenues. would result in no
tax loss to the District. This as
surnes that <1) the rebuilt land
would house more lucrative tax
producers and (2) most Of the
market facilities probably would
relocate within the city.
6. There is a sharp and bitter
split among the businessmen
themselves over the move. Most
firms want to stay. But the
largest are "less concerned" or
want to move. In dollar value,
three owners control about 70.2
per cent of the land west of
Tenth street S.W.
7. A plan should be drawn
II the market area is to be moved
Ito relocate firms elsewhere.
The city government should
help with this but the impetus"
should come from the business
men themselves.
8. There is no need for q
brand-new and single consoli-
dated food center in Washing
ton. But needs of certain types
Of dealers to remain grouped to-
gether in a new location Is
recognized. Therefore, probably
the best move is to assemble
most Of the produce and poultry
dealers in the Northeast Mar
ket (between Fourth and Sixth
Continued on Page A-1O, Col. /