Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-04-30
East Mall Dropped
From Buildings Bill
House Group
To Give Plan
Separate Study

A controversial proposal 70
create an East Mall between
the Capitol and the Anacostia
River today was stripped from
a bipartisan bill to revise the
Federal Public Buildings Act
of 1926.
House Public Buildings Sub
committee Chairman Jones,
Democrat of Alabama. side
tracked the local proviso for
fear it might hold up the major
national legislation.
This was a victory for home
owners in the Capitol area.
They have bombarded the SUBJ
committee with telephone pro-
tests through the past four
weeks in a drive spearheaded
by the Capitol Hill Restoration
Society and the Southeast, Lin
coin Park and Northeast Citi-
Gems Associations.
Mr.. Jones decision was an
nounced by Representative
Kluczynski, Democrat of Illi-
nois, who opened hearings on
the public buildings measure
this morning.
II am sure this is Of more
than passing interest to the
District of Columbia and eSpe-
cially residents and real estate
operators in the area just east
of the Capitol Building" he
said.
Deletion was urged by both
majority and minority commit
tee members, he said. who de-
cided the East Mall was not
truly germane" to the pending
legislation.
Separate Bill Planned
Mr.. Jones has promised sepa-
rate consideration of the mall
proposal. Any bill will be drafted
on a bipartisan basis, he said.
Originally written into the
Federal bill was a recommends
ton for new Federal taking
area" between Constitution and
Independence avenues, Second
street NE. and Sc. and the
AnacoStia River and between
&C street, Twenty-f1rst street,
Constitution and North Caro-
lima avenues NE. The General
Services Administration would
be empowered to acquire prop
critics and plan improvements
The stretch was enviSioned
by National Capital Planning
Commission officials as a ter
raced mall to balance the West
Mall linking the Capitol with
the Lincoln Memorial beside
the Potomac River. The COM
mission submitted an original
draft which was inserted by Mr..
Jones in the omnibus bill.
Time has been set aside to-
morrow for spokesman of citi-
zens' associations. as we'll as the
planning commission and Dis
trict Commissioners, to record
their mall views.
Tax Loss Seen
Commissioners were prepared
to suggest that the East Mall
be reserved as a scenic tract,
rather than as a location for a
new Federal community Of
buildings. They are not opposed
to the mall concept, but want
to point out to the committee
that the District will lose tax
revenue if the mall is developed.
General Services Admin
istrator Franklin Floete said
today that he had no strong
feelings about the mall, onS
way or the other.
He asked the committee,
however, for several major
changes in the Federal bill. 1t
would nullify a patchwork Of
public building authorizations
dating from 1902. No appro-
priation for construction, al
teration. or improvement of
buildings or acquisition of sites
could be made without a favor
able recommendation from the
Senate and House Public Works
Committee. according to the
bill.
Mr.. Floete would be obligated
TO give committees detailed
plans OF proposed buildings, as
well as prospective sites.
Burden on Congress
This would burden Con-
gress with unnecessary execu-
tive functions" Mr.. Floete
maintained. 1T also circum-
scribes us on site selections,
which we feel should be conf
Dental until we have building
approval"
He also objected to commit
tee control over alterations of
present buildings. He wanted
his responsibility confined to
offlce and warehouse space,
rather than extended to in
clude such Federal structures
as hospitals, research centers.
museums, libraries. penal in
situations and air traffic con-
troll centers, as provided in the
bill.
Representative Burke, Demo-
crat of Kentucky. pointed out
that Mr.. Floete was urging
fundamental changes in the
approach of the bill" It was
drafted to centralize control
over Federal building to avoid
construction without pattern
by diverse Federal agencies. he
noted.