Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1960-05-18
Project Backed
By McShoin
And OImsted
BY ALFRED ALIBRANDO
Star STAFF Writer

-AtNAAA NNAAN W ooAAAAAS VIII
Banker George Olmstead, it
was disclosed today.
Only last night. on the eve
of a Commissioners hearing on
the proposal, Kingdom Gould,
jr., and D. F. Antonelli, jr.,
announced they had sold $780,
900 square feet of valuable land
in the project area to a syndi-
cate organized by James F.
Salkeld of the Shannon g.
Luchs real estate firm.
Today, Mr.. McShain and Mr..
Olmsted, a retired major gen.
eral. we're identified as princi-
pals in the syndicate.
1t was not disclosed until to-
day. however, that the sale in
cluded land formerly owned or
controlled by Milton w. Arnold,
also a retired general. Gen.
Arnold was adamantly opposed
to participating in a redevelop-
ment corporation as a minor
ity stakeholder.
Control 27G of Land
Since Mr.. Gould and Mr.. An
tonelli had the largest holdings
in the 8-acre area, the divided
ownership appeared to be a
difficult obstacle for the rede-
velopment plan advanced by
the National Capital Planning
Commission.
Withthe sale announced last
night. the syndicate headed by
Mr.. McShain and Gen. Olmsted
now controls about 81 per cent
Of the land in the project area.
About 48 per cent is in public
ownership-streets, alleys and
parks. The remaining IS per
cent is divided among nu-
merouS owners.
The project area is a triangu-
lar tract of land between the
proposed west leg of the Inner
loop, E street, Twenty-third
street and Virginia avenue.
At the Commissioners hear
ing today, Claude w. Owen, ST..
vice chairman of the National
Capital Planning Commission.
said 20 of 70 buildings in the
area are blighted or subStand-
ardand thus the area is con-
sidered a slum. He also said
the land uses are mixed and no
longer appropriate, and the
street pattern obsolete.
Backs Unified Setup
William E. Finley, planning
commission director, said the
unified development possible
with public sponsorship was
preferable to the scattered"
development certain to take
place under purely private
auspices.
Mr.. Salkeld, representing the
Columbia Plaza Corp, the new
redevslopment syndicate, said
Mr.. Gould and Mr.. Antonelli
had sold out because they felt
1t would be impossible for any
one person or group to assem-
BILE all of the land in the area.
For this reason. said Mr.. Sal
keld, the District Redevelop-
ment Land Agency should be
permitted to use its powers of
condemnation to assemble the
land for a private developer.
Others who Endorsed the re-
development proposal included
Charles Horsky, president of
the Washington Housing Asso-
citation; Charles Rogers, who
lives in the area, and Grosye-
nor Chapman, representing the
Committee of One Hundred on
the Federal City.
Six Oppose Project
Six persons appeared in OBJ
position to the proposed prof.
ect. They we're Harry S. Wen
der, an attorney who owns
property in the area; Charles
l.. Norris, member of a real
estate firm which operates in
the Foggy Bottom area; Will
liam T. Hannah, representing
the Washington Board of
Trade; Lester H. Steinem, pres
ioent OF the West End Citizens
Association; James w. Pearson
representing the Home Builders
Association of Metropolitan
washington, and Harry A.
Barbour, a former public hous-
ing official.
About $50 persons attended
the hearing, which was re-
cessed until 2::30 pm. Friday.
Loud applause: followed Mr..
Humans attack on the pro-
posal as an illegal and unnec-
essary activity of the Redeyel-
opment Land Agency.
Mr.. Hannah and others con-
tended that the area would be
redeveloped privately if left
alone, that the RIA already
has more than it can handle
IN the big Southwest redevelop-
ment project and that the Co.
lumbia Plaza area is not
blighted as maintained by the
Ia