Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-06-23
Space Needs Sci
'Af.St.5 Billion
BY ROBERT J. LEWIS
star stan Correspondent

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va, June
22.-The Public Buildings Serv-
ice believes an expenditure Of
about SIS billion win be needed
to bring Federal office space
standards throughout the coun-
try up to any kind Of level at
all"
This was reported today to
the closing sessions Of the third
annual convention here Of the
Washington Real Estate Board
by F. Moran McConihe, public
buildings commissioner Of the
General Services Administration.
Mr.. McConihe Is q former presi-
dent Of the board.
Other highlights Of Mr.. Nc
Confines address:
!. A contract Is expected to
be let within about 10 days for
the construction Of the new
State Department Building at q
cost Of about SAT million.
2. Development east Of the
Capitol deserves to be encour-
aged. he believes, would be q
logical means of preventing a
flight to the perimeter Of the
metropolitan area. He added
however, that he knew Of nc
plans for moving agencies en-
Imasse from Washington, though
he said ( Of Is projects Public
Buildings Service is undertaking
In the first stage Of its building
program would be outside of the
metropolitan area.
3. The first stage Of the three
stage construction program will
provide permanent government
buildings for nearly two-thirds
Of employees now based in tenn.
|porary non conforming and
leased space. In this period end
ing in 1859. two-thirds Of exist
ing temporary buildings will be
demolished. Six in the north
west section already have been
removed.
4. BY the time the second
stage Of the program is COM
pleted, a number Of projects in
the heart Of downtown Washing
ton will be completed. These
will include the razing Of the
old post ONCE buildings at Penn
sylvania and Eleventh street
NV. and replacement Of It with
a structure conforming to Fed
eral triangle architecture,
5. The third and final stage OF
the building program now sched-
uled for completion after 1867
would extend existing building.
and provide two new ones-the
first on the present site Of Emer-
gency Hospital and the seconc
on the site on the Walker John.
son Building at New York Ave.
nue. and Eighteenth street.
Within five years. he said, the
program will sweep away eye.
sore temporary ONCE building,
from about l25 acres Of, tn,
parks and will restore Washing.
tons world renown as q city O.
beautiful vistas."
Mr.. McConihe emphasized
that the plan was a partial an.
swer to the Governments imme-
date and urgent requirements
and that 1t did not provide fol
all future requirements.
He said that. while the Dis.
trict program is q vital one, the
needs Of the country as a whole
were similarly pressing.
He said surveys were now be.
ing conducted in 1852 cite,
throughout the Nation TO estab.
lish the extent Of the need ir
these cities for the updating oI
existing Federal office space Il
construction Of new buildings.
Much Of the present construc.
ton program. he said, is predi.
Gated on use Of the lease-pur.
chase plan under which privat,
firms and bankers would finance
and construct the buildings Will
the Government paying for then
in installments. This program
has never got of the grouns
owing to the problem Of findinI
money to finance It within 4 PEI
cent interest limitation set b,