Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-07-22


SPACE for 5000 workers. Funds
for these five were appropriated
directly, without use of the lease
purchase formula.
Chairman Chavez said there is
still time for the Senate Public
Works Committee to act on the
three deferred lease-purchase
projects before Congress ad-
journs. provided the problems
involved in each can be worked
out.
The problems, however, are
substantial.
The Geological Survey and
Weather Bureau projects were
blocked because of plans to To-
cate them outside of Washing
ton. in suburban Maryland.
Senator Chavez has taken a
strong position against such Fed
eral moves from the Capital.
ABEuClcS Mduc DCCISlOH
GSA said that while specific
sites have not been pinned down.
the two agencies themselves
made the decision to move out.
Key questions are whether
adequate sites are available for
these agencies within Washing
ton and, if so, whether they will
be acceptable.
GSA officials indicated they al
ready have earmarked as many
new buildings as they want to
put up in the downtown area
west of Capitol Hill. A number
of sites elsewhere in Washing
ton, however, have figured in
speculation about new Federal
building locations. Included are
the National Training School for
Boys tract on Bladensburg road
NE, to be vacated by the JUS
tice Department; the Soldiers
Home grounds, and the present
site Of the Bureau of Standards
on Connecticut avenue, pro-
posed to be vacated for a move
to Maryland.
Committee sources, mean
while, said two factors figured
largely IN holding up the GSA
proposal for the big Office build
ing at Seventeenth and Pennsyl-
vania avenue NV.
One was the committees APP
proval Friday of a bill author
izing construction of new $3.5
million U. S. Court of Claims
building on the southeast corner
of Seventeenth and H streets
NV. This is in the block in
which the GSA lease-purchase
building is proposed.
Expansion Seen
The second factor was a feel
ing that other space in that
block may be needed for expan-
sion of the Presidents Executive
Office activities. Also on Friday.
the Chavez Committee approved
a bill to establish a seven-man
commission to make an immedi-
ate study of White HOWE ex-
panSion needs.
The question of Court of
Claims site has been up in the
air for years. Since 1899, the
court has occupied the old Cor
coran Art Gallery building on
the northeast corner of Seven
teenth and Pennsylvania avenue
due south of the new site APP
proved by the Public Works
Committee.
A committee report on the
bill noted that Federal planners
favor a site near the United
States Supreme Court Building
on Capitol Hill. The committee
settled on the Seventeenth and
H street location, however, to
avoid land-acquisition costs and
to keep the claims court-be-
cause of the nature of its BUSH
ness-"near the Executive Of
fees"
Senator Chavez said the GSA
intended to use its proposed
lease-purchase building for the
Veterans Administration. A GSA
spokesman, however, said only
a small amount of space was
planned for the VA, with large
amount available for other uses.
The five Washington lease
purchase projects already cleared
by the House and Senate Public
Works Committees all are To-
Gated within a few blocks of the
main Mall west of Capitol Hill.
GSA has indicated that one Of
the five, a part of the Area C
Southwest redevelopment pro-
gram, will be scheduled for con-
struction along with redevelop-
ment. The other four are
expected to go ahead immedi-
ately.
First steps, officials said, will
be to let contracts to private
architects for design Of the
buildings, and to finish acquisi-
ton Of the sites. Parts of all the
locations already are in Gov
eminent ownership. GSA already
has more than Sis million in
hand to buy land and contract
for designs.
Private Bids TO Be Sought
After the designs and working
drawings are complete, under
the lease-purchase program, GSA
solicits private investment bids
to get Cd the lowest cost TO con-
struct the building and 90 the
lowest interest rate an investor
is willing to charge for adj
vancing the construction money.
After the building is completed,
GSA occupies it and pays the
financing investor an annual
amount that will wipe out the
total debt over a period Of rs
years.
AT the end Of the 25-year
period, the Government takes
title to the building. During the