Evening star., 1961-05-06

construction Of four buildings
around the quadrangular area
bounded by Ninth and Eleventh
streets and D and F streets S.W.
Communication Center
They would include:
/. A world communications
center" a 12-story office build
ing that would seek to attract
press, radio and TV organiza-
tions, to be located on the west
side of the plaza, between Tenth
and Eleventh streets.
2. Twin office buildings (eight
or nine stories high) on the
north and south sides of the
plaza.
3. A 1,000-room hotel on the
east side, and extending over
Ninth street.
1t is these buildings on which
Mr.. Searles said the New York
developer promised an immedi-
ate start.
Sites for the buildings were
priced at "in excess of $40" a
square foot, Mr.. Searles said
Total land involved for this
group is .298,438 square feet.
In addition, Mr.. Zeckendorf
created a certain amount of
surprise among RIA staff peo-
pie in expressing readiness yes
terday to enter into agreement
at once on two other contigu-
GUS tracts.
Under $50
Prices on these are Slightly
less" than $40 a square foot.
RIA said.
One of these two tracts con-
tains 242,000 square feet and
abuts the hotel tract on the
west, with D street as the north
boundary, Seventh street as the
east boundary, and the South
west Expressway as the bound
ary on the south. Two office
buildings are proposed for this
site, limited To eight or ,,ioo
stories.
The other tract contains
l26,0O0 square feet and is
bounded by D street on the
north, E street on the south.
Seventh street on the west and
by the Fifth Baptist church
on the east.
Exact usage of this tract
is unspecified by Mr.. Zecken-
dorf. Since it is also zoned
first commercial. it could be
used for office buildings and
retail stores.
There is no agreement as to
a starting time for projects
on the second and third tracts
an RIA spokesman said,
With acquisition of the Plaza
Mall tracts, it is understood
Mr.. Zeckendorf would have
control of all first commercial
land in the entire 55O-acre
southwest urban renewal area
except for waterfront land and
one less-than-an-acre tract re-
Gently zoned first commercial
This small tract is located be-
tween Maryland avenue and G
street and between Sixth and
Seventh streets S.W.
Other Leases
In addition. he leases 26s 600
square feet of residential land
in the Town Center area on
which two apartment buildings
have been built and on which
other apartments are under
construction.
BESIDES that, it is understood
That he and RIA are "in agree
ment as to price" (though this
is not yet publicly Specified) on
Two other tracts for row houses,
This land has total of 4O7, 600
square feet, or roughly nine
acres.
The New York developer also.
IN addition, has first priority
on three other tracts for high
rise apartment buildings. These
tracts contain a total of 672-
300 square feet (about Is
acres. Price agreement on this
land is still to be reached
Mr.. kendorf's firm
achieved a groundfloor advan-
5age in the early days of South
west redevelopment.
1oof' CLle 1lrm prepared a
general land-use plan for the
entire Southwest area. AS a
part OF the agreement, RIA and
Mr. leckendorf at that time
signed a memorandum Of nm
which provided
nat the egency would nesotiate
With him first for much of Yhe
'aluaole first-commercial and
residential land.
He thus has had the oppor-
unity of first refusal" on
numerous desirable Southwest
ractS as a result of foresight
n providing design guidance
hrough his architect, Ieoh
Ming Pei.