Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1962-12-04
Units Proposed
By Zeckendorf
Are Up to RIA
BY ROBERT ]. LEWIS
Star Staff Writer


more to the Districts rede-
velopment agency.
The change has been pro-
posed by New York builder VIII
liam Zeckendorf so that more
apartments and stores can be
built than are provided for UNI
der the existing renewal plan.
The 20-acre Town Center
tract at Fourth and M streets
S.W. is already under lease to
Mr.. Zeckendorf.
His proposal to double the
existing 512 apartment units,
and increase the number Of
stores, is now being negotiated
with RIA. The move to in
crease the number of units was
first proposed by the National
Capital Planning Commission.
Before agreeing to the
change, RIA wants two things
settled:
/. A design from Mr.. Zee
kendorf that will mean a real
Improvement"
2. An agreement from Mr..
Zeckendorf that he will pay
"the fair market value" for the
right to build the additional
units.
More Life" Wanted
In one sense, Mr.. Zecken-
dorf is in the drivers seat, so
far as price is concerned, be-
cause both the RIA and the
National Capital Planning Com
mission would like to see more
life" in the area.
The present scheme Of widely
spaced buildings and large park
ing lots has been criticized as
wasteful of central-city land,
as having a suburban look"
and as being desolate at night.
But. on the other hand, RIA
has ultimate control. Unless
Mr.. Zeckendorf agrees to pay
a reasonable price, the agency
can kill his proposal for addi-
tional construction.
When RIA leased the land,
1t limited the number of apart
ments and stores to be build
as part of the lease. The lin
itationS of the lease reflected,
in turn, the terms of the ur-
ban renewal plan.
Before a change In the re-
newal plan can be considered
RIA will have to recommend
such a change. This then will
need approval of both the Dis
trict Commissioners and the
planning commission.
Approves to Act
To establish the fair market
value for the right to build ad-
ditional units, RIA said it will
rely on the opinion of profess
sional appraisers.
In some other areas of CEN
trail Washington, builders have
been paying for land as high
as $4,000 per apartment unit.
On such a basis, the land cost
Of building 500 apartments
alone would be 81. A million.
Under terms of his lease, Mr..
Zeckendorf has been limited to
building four apartment build
ings having a total of 512 units,
plus a three-building shopping
center and an office building.
Under Mr.. Zeckendorf's pro-
posals, the office building
would be eliminated altogether
and two apartment buildings
having ground-floor CONNER
cial space would be substituted,
thus adding about 500 apart
ment units and additional
stores.
When-and ia satisfactory
design for the project is ac-
cepted. RIA will then want a
price agreement from Mr.
zeckendorf before proposing a
plan change.
All Under Lease
From Mr.. Zeckendorf's
standpoint, presumably. the
land price will have to be at
tractive. For he now has all
the land In the Town Center
area under lease, and he is not
required to build additional
apartments unless he wants to
Almost two years ago, Mr..
Zeckendorf leased the apart
ment land in the Town Gen.
ter area for is cents a foot
annually. and the commercial
land for 10 cents a square foot
annually.
The residential-land fee vab
ue was $3.50 a square foot. and
that for the commercial land
was SO a square foot. The
lease amount is 8 per cent
yearly.