Evening star., 1960-09-25
Cafe Will Expand
On Art Center Site
Land Purchase
Is Fought by
Five Firms
BY GRACE BASSETT
Star Sta1 Writer

pdIlQlng on CIle POIomaC SlOre
site Of the proposed National
Cultural Center.
1t is one of five businesses
including the Water Gate Inn
eventually may have
to move off land eyed by Center
sponsors.
Blue Bell Inc, waffle and
doughnut shop owners, plan to
improve their property and in
crease their clientele. Work
now under way is bound to in
crease the value Of the land
planned to be bought or con-
demned with public funds.
Water Gate owners have
fought to remain. This resis-
tance has removed the Water
Gate Inn from the National
Capital Planning Commission
list of tracts to be acquired for
the center. The commission is
the acquiring agent for the Ma
tional Park Service, which, in,
turn. is the agency through;
which center sponsors hope to
obtain the land.
Problems Face Committee
The center's board OF trus-
tees could try to negotiate a
purchase with private money,
should the commission continue
to shy away from the Water
Gate Inn deal.
These problems are among
property decisions to be con-
sidered tomorrow by the execu-
tive committee Of the center
board. Committeeman will re-
ceive reports also on activi-
ties which could be carried on
in the center, on architectural
plans and on contacts made
with potential donors, accord
ing to Jarold A. Kieffer, Sec
retary.
Mr.. Kieffer said both the
Blue Bell and the Water Gate
Inn were aware they were in
possible taking" areas. But
the timing of property moves
has yet to be fixed by center
trustees.
Congress in 1858 authorized
the center to be built on nine
acres bounded by the Innerloop
freeway on the east, the Theo-
dore Roosevelt Bridge ap-
proaches on the south, Rock
Creek parkway on the west and
New Hampshire avenue on the
north.
Shop Blocks Acquisition
A design by Edward Durrell
Stone encircled an area just
past F. street on the north and
pushed the western parkway
boundaries to the river bank.
Two more acres of land will ba
needed to build the center un5
der the Stone plan.
The waffle shop, the Water
Gate Inn, a stone-carving firm,
a parking lot and a liquor store
are within this two additional
acres needed for the center and
a rerouted parkway away from
the river around the rear Of
the center.
The whole center might be
shifted to the south to save the
Water Gate Inn If costs Of
acquisition are prohibitive.
Shift or no shift, the waffle
shop is clearly on land that
center sponsors want.
Our expansion should be
finished Tor a January l OPEN,
ing" James West of Blue Bell.
said.
Got Z0ning Action
I'VE we're too small to cons
ply with District restaurant
regulations. So, we got zoning
permission to enlarge to com.
ply with those regulations. The
Federal Government didn't pay
any attention to our arrangeS
ments with the District gov-
ernment.
"Zoning permission was ac-
ton" he added. Land acqui-
sition is just talk. AS business
men. we have to rely on
action"
Mr.. West said he felt that
eventually the Federal Govern
ment would own all the land
bordering the Potomac River.
But businessmen could not
afford to stand still until such
a time as public officials de-
cided to buy or condemn land,
he indicated.
The planning commission has
available about $750,000 of So
called Capper-Cramton funds
for acquisition of park lard
bordering the Potomac River
The commission has agreed TO
cooperate with center spon-
sors by using these funds to
acquire some land needed by
the center.
Center Plan Elaborate
In addition, the center trust
ees are collecting privately do
mated funds for land, planning
and construction. Their goal
is SIS million.
At tomorrow's meeting, Mr..
Kieffer and Ralph Becker, cen-l
ter counsel, will propose prop
erty acquisition policies. /
Architect Stone is expected
to brief the executive commit
tee on borings of soil and water
on the site, foundation require
and problems of food;
control and freezing Of the
river in the form of a grace
fully curved terrace. .
L. Corrin Strong, executive
vice chairman of the Center
organization, will summarize
the reactions of private citizens
and foundations to bids to con-