Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-08-01
Cafritz. Sees
Lewis Plan
Trade
Business Would
Move to Suburbs,
Builder Declares

II present plans of Harold M.
Lewis, District Government zon-
ing consultant, are made effec-
tive, they will drive millions of
dollars worth of tax-paying i'm
provements out of Washington
into Maryland and Virginia,
Morris Cafritz, Washington build
er, charged today.
He declared even the threat
of putting the Lewis rezoning
plan into effect has already adj
verSely affected business here.
The proposed new coming plans
are expected to go before the
District Commissioners for ap-
proval about November. The
Commissioners will hold a public
hearing on them.
Mr.. Cafritz said a $25 million
program proposed at Temple
Heights, near Connecticut and
Florida avenues NV, would
have to be abandoned if the
Lewis plans become the Districts
new coming regulations. Mr.. Ca
fritz and Charles H. Tompkins,
another prominent Washington
builder, plan to undertake this
development.
Hotel Planned
The $25 million program in
Icludes: A SIS million hotel, con-
tanning around 1000 rooms: a
garage to accommodate as many
automobiles; a SIS million Office
building. planned at Connecticut
avenue and T street NV, and
another SIS million Office building
at Florida avenue-all on the
Temple Heights property.
Apart from this program. Mr.
Cafritz and Mr.. Tompkins plan
as start of the long-range plan
to begin construction of an So
million park at your desk" office
building. containing some 225, 000
square feet of space, with park
ling for some $50 cars, and also
containing number of stores
on the Temple Heights site. Mr.
Cafritz said they plan to start
work on this phase of the devel-
opment at Florida and Connect
cut avenues NV. within six
weeks.
The entire Temple Heights pro-
gram can be carried out under
the existing District coming
regulations, Mr.. Cafritz said.
Property useless"
He said they are now nego-
tiating with several out-of -towr
architects for the proposed hotel
which he said would overlook the
city. 1t would be built at the
top of the hill on Temple
Heights.
Under the Lewis plan. the
Temple Heights property would
he useless" Mr.. Cafritz con-
tended, THAT plan would re-
strict development to small two
story apartments that would bt
impractical to construct. That il
valuable land now, but under the
Lewis proposal it would be de-
creased in value by nine-tenths
This land is now worth $40 a
foot. But if rezoned as proposed
by Lewis, it would be hard tc
sell at 81 a foot.
I'VE have. been carrying this
land for some IL years now and
in the interim, both Mr.. Toi1p-
kins and myself have been busy
engaged in building other ven
lures. Now we are ready to start
on Temple Heights and the first
unit. the park at your desk
office building, is waiting only
lIOr structural plans.
I'VE have paid a lot of taxes
and interest on the money in.
vested-which was around 81
million-on the Temple Heights
property.
"The Lewis plan is injurious
to Washington as a whole. L
has already hurt the city. People
are doubtful about land for sale
and they are being frightened
off. If they rezone the land Il
won't be worth as much.
Sees Uncertainty
1.-THE mortgage companies hayt
steered clear of mortgages be.
cause of the uncertainty brought
about by the Lewis proposals il
many instances. There are lot
of plants right now in Wash
lngton that run into millions
of dollars that would be non,
; conforming in Is years undel
the plan. The Potomac Electric
Power Co. plant at Buzzard
Point comes to mind-it woulC
come under this provision.
!, 81 believe in coming. 1t pro
: tects the entire city. But If {
good part of Lewis plan werI
put into action, think propert!
) owners would rise up and go int
. the courts and make coming un.
. constitutional. This plan put
coming in jeopardy"
/, But George Cater, residen
representative of Mr.. Lewis a
the District Building, sees tn,
. situation otherwise. He declared
Kalorama area citizens in TIN
Temple Heights region don
want a Radio City type Of de-
Ivelopment there as proposed"
Mr.. Cater commended Mr.. Ca
fritz and his colleagues plan II
"overdevelop the site in a resi-
Dental neighborhood." He sale
the citizens object to over-com'
liberalization. He said the ares
is now zoned for apartment
: houses and apartment hotels anc