Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-04-27
u. ). BUILDINGS
Are Sought for
Southwest Area
Businessmen Join
Officials in PIeu
At Senute Hearing
By GEORGE BEvERIDGE

Federal, District and private
business leaders urged the
Senate today to authorize new
Federal Office buildings in
Washington's Southwest rede-
velopment area, but differed
slightly on how to do it.
The appeals were made in
long-awaited hearings before q
Senate Public Works subcom-
mittee, on bills that would re-
quire an equal amount of Fed
eral tempo space to be RACED
for every new building put up.
Provision for the new office
buildings is a key part Of the
redevelopment proposal of Will
liam zeckendorf, who wants the
new office structures to line
new 300-foot-wide South Mall"
extending through the South
west to the waterfront.
Conflict Surprises
A conflict over the way Con-
gress should authorize this pro-
gram emerged today as a sharp
surprise to witnesses and COM
mittee members alike.
1t had been expected that the
General Services Administration,
Mr.. Zeckendorf, District officials
and the District Redevelopment
Land Agency all would support
a bill setting up a separate
"lease-purchase" program for the
rundown Southwest section.
The bill would operate similar
ly to the Nationwide Lease-Pur-
chase Act voted last year, under
which Federal agencies lease Of
flee space for a specified period
and then take title to the build
ings. The Southwest bill, how
ever, contained special provisions
to meet its unique needs.
GSA Associate Counsel j. H.
Macomber, jr., however, today
urged the subcommittee to meet
the peculiar Southwest needs by
a simple amendment to the 1854
Lease-Purchase Act, rather than
to authorize a completely new
program.
Wants Safeguards
MIR. Macomber stressed there
was no GSA conflict with gen.
eral purposes of the separate
Dill. BUT said his agency felt
certain administrative safeguards
and procedures set down in the
national act should be preserved.
At the same time, however, he
suggested these concessions to
the Southwest program, which
the separate bill also provides:
l. That equivalent amounts of
tempo space demolished, based
on the number of employe &C.
cupants involved.
2. That under the lease con-
tracts the Government would
make, private builders could have
30-year amortization periods,
rather than the 25-year limit in
the national act.
3. That the GSA pay a part
OF the redevelopment expense
and that the buildings conform
to Washington's redevelopment
plan.
Mr.. Macomber took issue. how
ever. with a provision of the
separate bill making the build
lngS tax free during the period
they were in private ownership
and providing that GSA paw the
District amounts lin lieu of
taxes" based on 1855 land values.
Full Taxes Asked
The GSA Official commended
that the builders should pay the
city full real estate taxes. This
position also will be urged
strongly by the Redevelopment
Land Agency and the District
Commissioners. 1t is not ex-
pected to be opposed by Mr..
Zeckendorf.
subcommittee Chairman Sy-
mington told the GSA officials
he saw little difference between
their amendment and the pend
ing bill and criticized them for
making their position known
only at the last minute.
Members questioned Mr.. Zeck-
endorf sharply about what spe-
clal treatment, if any, he ex-
pected to get in dealing with
GSA. for Federal building con-
struction. The New York real
estate promoter insisted that his
firm wants mo special directive
but only the right to negotiate
with GSA."
No Subsidy Sought
Our primary purpose" he
said, lis to see this thing done,
whether by ourselves or others.
The project will be built with
private capital with no tax sub
sidy or exemption requested"
w. E. Reynolds, former public
buildings commissioner for many
years and now a Zeckendorf
consultant, told the Senators
that now is "a proper and rea-
sonable time" for the Govern
ment to make its first major
move to demolish some of the 80
eyesore tempos which house
99,329 employees in Washington.
Mr.. Reynolds said most of the
tempos were built while he
headed the Government building
program. One reason they never
have been demolished before is
that demands for labor and ma
terials for business expansion
and home, school and hospital
construction argued against ma
jor Federal building, he said.
The Zeckendorf forces have
not specified precisely how much
Federal Office space they want
g. H.