Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-05-16
Senate OKs Center
In Foggy Bottom
Vote Unanimous:
Fight in House
Is Anticipated

looking the Potomac River, were
given a big push toward enact
ment last night by the Senate.
The Senate adopted without
objection and without debate a
conference report that came
from a Joint session of the House
and Senate District committees
which have been considering the
question over a long period Of
weeks.
The action came at the end
of a night session when Senator
Morse. Democrat of Oregon.
chairman of Senate conferees on
the auditorium project, laid be-
fore the Senate a report signed
by the majority of House and
Senate conferees. In less than
two minutes. the conference re-
port was adopted.
The report, as adopted by the
Senate. now goes to the House.
where some objections are ex-
lpected.
BrOyhill Opposes Report
Representative Broyhill, Re-
publican of Virginia. member of
the House District Committee
and one of the conferees, had re-
fused to sign the report because
he was opposed to the Foggy
Bottom site. He has maintained
that 1t would De better to locate
the proposed national cultural
center in the redevelopment area
in Southwest Washington.
4 Mr.. Broyhill made the point
that a number of private COM
mercial projects would suffer il
the big auditorium were to be
built in the Foggy Bottom area.
He has said that the cost of ac-
quiring privately owned land
there would be higher than esti-
mated by those who favor the
riverfront acreage.
On the other hand. Mr.. Broy-
hill has argued that there is
available Government owned
land in the Southwest redevelop-
ment area that is suitable and
could be used.
I The project is expected to.
cost about $50 million. This
would be Federal project. but
some of the sponsors Of the plan
believe that all of the cost could
be obtained from private dona-
lions. But sponsors want Con-
gress to provide the cost of the
site.
The legislation directs Federal
Services Administration to ac-
quire the land by condemna-
ton or negotiation. Estimates
of the cost of the land range
up to $50 million.
Other Plans Conflict
The proposed site. as out
lined in the conference report,
is west of Twenty-third street
NV. along Virginia avenue. 1t
would interfere in part, at least.
with some of the plans of the
Potomac Plaza Corp. for de-
velopmentS in that area. This
corporation already has built
one cooperative apartment in
the section and plans several
additional projects. 1t also
would run counter to plans of
the Peoples Life Insurance Co.
to build a monumental head.
quarters building in the selected
area.
Involved also would be the
question of some relocation, al
ready under study by District
officials and other agencies, of
the west segment of the projected
inner-loop express highway pro-
gram TO free the movement of
traffic in an out of downtown
Washington.
/ The conference report does
several things aside from speci-
flying the location of the pro-
posed national cultural center
j 1t would change the name Of
. the commission in charge of the
project from the District of CO.
lumbia Auditorium Commission
to the Commission for a National
Cultural Center.
Would Alter Project Name
1t would also change the name
Of the projected auditorium from
the National Civic Auditorium
to the National Cultural Center.
Also. it would continue the
life of the Auditorium Commits
sion, now expiring. to a time
when the cultural center was
completed. so that the commits
sion could keep its eye on the
whole program until it was an
actually.
There is also a provision for
the setting UP Of a expense ac-
count for the handling Of funds
that may come from any sale Of
reports dealing with the project.
The principal clause Of the
entire conference report, how
l0x,aV vyac ara evNaoifx,tt.rx chat kl,a
Foggy Bottom area be acquired
as a site for the center. which
would provide facilities for pub
lie assembly. opera. music and
all matter of major public events.
Just how soon the House will
take up the question is not
known.
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