Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1958-07-27

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porous. livable area creditable
10 the national capital.
Alarmed by this threat. Rob-
ert Z. Mclaughlin, president
Of the District Board Of Com
missloners. yesterday described
the conflict In these terms:
1T Is one In which the inter-
ests Of residents and taxpayers
Of washington. together with
those Of Americans az large.
are pitted against the private
interests Of a few business
men"
Mr.. Mclaughlin and plan
ming ofhcials contend the mar
kets, which they call anachro-
nisnis. form the last barrier
obstructing transformation Of
Southwest.
Adopted In 1856
The $3.50 million-program for
resurrection Of about $50 acres
between independence avenue.
Fourteenth street and the
waterfront was adopted April
3. 1856. after prolonged
scrutiny.
It has been approved BY all
planning agencies. Funds for
its initial phases are available.
The Redevelopment Land
Agency already has or expects
to acquire soon the necessary
privately owned land.
However, District officials
argue that trafic arteries re-
CURED for redevelopment can
not be constructed until the
markets are cleared.
Col. Thomas B. Hunter. act
ing District Engineering Com
missioner, said yesterday:
THE very first and most ins
dispensable phase Of the pro-
gram consists Of construction
OF the trafiic arteries which
will'serve the area to be rebuilt.
without them. access to It
is difncult and costly. Private
developers are reluctant to
undertake projects. Permanent
sewage and utility connections
cannot be installed. except with
difilculty."
District Owns Markets
However, both the Fish and
Farmers Markets are owned by
the District. Congressional ae-
ton authorized them. Only
Congress can change the law.
Last week in hearings before
House and Senate District Sub
committees, RIA and District
ofiicials fought for this change.
They met entrenched and
vocal opposition from restau-
rant owners. FISH dealers and
fishermen who now use the
publicly owned facilities and
wish to preserve this privilege.
They also we're subjected to
demands that the District build
a new municipal market to &C
commodate private business
men now in the waterfront area
which will be razed.
Destruction Necessary
During the hearings, Col.
Hunter and Douglas s. Brink
ley, chief planning engineer
of the Highway Department,
explained the three projects
which neceSsitate destruction
Of the markets. They are:
/. Completion Of the South
west freeway, upon which Sc
million already has been spent.
The freeway will run roughly
along the line Of F street be-
tween Fourteenth and South
Capitol streets. Part of a grand
highway design for Washing
ton, it will speed traffic through
much Of the heart Of the city.
2. Construction Of a WASH
ington Channel bridge from
Hams Point to Maine avenue
between Eleventh and Twelfth
streets. The bridge will link
the freeway to the Fourteenth
street bridges spanning the
Potomac. It will also help dis
solve the congestion that now
boys passage to and from Vir-
ginia.
8. Realignment Of Maine ave-
nue. in an arc away from the
river. This will allow construc-
ton Of a broad avenue and
leave a new crescent-shaped
section Of land between it and
the water. Creation Of this strip
will permit retention of the
waterfront atmosphere and
handsome new facilities for
boatmen and the public in
general.
Study Given Routes
Col. Hunter and Mr.. Brink
ley emphasized that although
these routes neceSsitate demo-
lition Of the markets and other
large blocks of business prop
erty. they were agreed upon as
the best possible after years Of
study.
The businessmen who will be
displaced from the waterfront
area by these projects reason
ably may be classified into five
major categories.
In terms Of dollar volume of
trade conducted annually, the
most important group is COM
posed of wholesale meat, poul-
try and produce dealers.
They are concentrated pri-
marily in the Terminal Ware
housing and Refrigerating
Corp. building and the Penn
sylvania Railroad shed along
Maine avenue.
They engage chiefly in sup
ply Of hotels and institutions
in downtown Washington. Most |
Of them believe it is advan-
tageous to remain together