Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-11-09
Planning Group
Favors2 Sites
For Stadium
East Capitol Street
And Troininq School
Areas Are Chosen
By John wv. STEPP


Both the National Training
School and East Capitol street
sites for a proposed National sta
dium here were recommended
today to the National Capital
Planning Commission.
The conclusion was reached by
a special committe of the plan
ming group, which studied four
possible locations.
The committee found that the
training school area, owned by
the Federal government, would
be preferable for a large stadium
with a capacity of around 100000
spectators.
Feasible, but not quite as de-
sirable for a large structure,
would be a location north Of
East Capitol street in the vicinity
of Benning road, Oklahoma ave-
nue. and Nineteenth street ne.
The group felt. however, that
best use for this location would
be as a medium" sized stadium
accommodating $4,000.
Others Held Unsuitable
The two other site possibilities
studied were regarded as insult
able for several reasons. These
sites were the present Griffith
Stadium at Georgia and Florida
avenues NV. and Harmony
Cemetery, which is bounded by
Rhode Island avenue and Brent
wood road near Ninth street NE.
The recommendations were
made as three members of the
National Stadium Commission.
established by Congress, sat in as
observers. The planning COM
mission took no action. but mem
bers of NCPC and the stadium
commission participated in a
lively discussion of the report.
The committee liked both rec
commended sites, for their rec
commended use, on many counts.
Good Features Cited
Members reported good Access
sibility, adequate parking space,
availability of railroad service
and good aesthetic and scenic
features. 1t was further pointed
out that the training school site
probably can be transferred
without cost by its present owner.
the Justice Department, to local
authorities for stadium develop
ment.
Most of the property Of the
suggested East Capitol street site
likewise could be transferred BY
the National Park Service, which
currently holds jurisdiction. Some
of the required land, however, is
in private ownership and would
have to be acquired at an esti-
mated cost of 81 million.
On the accessibility point, the
committee called attention to
the fact that the training school
location is convenient to the
Baltimore Washington parkway
and other major thoroughfares
The other location would be
served by Kenilworth avenue.
East Capitol street extended and
the new East Capitol street
bridge, as well as other roads.
Griffith Center Opposed
The Griffith Stadium location,
advocated in some quarters. met
with little enthusiasm among
the committee members. They
pointed out that the streets
serving the present center al
ready are choked with traffic
and the size of the property
would be inadequate for even a
medium sized new stadium. The
only recourse to enlarge it would
be to acquire some - acres of
surrounding land at an estimated
cost Of $13 million.
The one redeeming feature of
developing this area might be
that the property acquisition
would mean wiping out blighted
dwellings now around the sta
dium.
Its aesthetic values. moreover,
are virtually nil. the committee
added.
Cemetery Area Disliked
The cemetery location on the
fringe Of the big railroad yards
and in the heart of a major in
dustrial-commercial section sim
ilarly would be an unattractive