Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-11-06
Funds Are Souqht
For NV. Renewal
RIA Seeking
$50 Million
For Project
By ROBERT ]. LEWIS
Star Staff Writer

Federal funds totaling S39,-
222, SOC will be sought by the
Redevelopment Land Agency
to go ahead with a new urban
renewal project in Northwest
Washington.
In an action today. the RIA
board authorized filing Of an
application for loan and grant
funds for the North Capitol
West Renewal Area. which will
be largely redeveloped with
moderate-space and low-in-
come housing.
The 95acre area is bounded
by New York, New Jersey and
Massachusetts, avenues and by
First and North Capitol streets
NV.
OF the total amount. $22,-
753,053 would be in Federal
Government loans for the prof.
ect. $15,970.593 in a Federal
grant to subsidize a write-down
of land when it is resold and
for other purposes, and $49s,-
$50 in a Federal grant to pay
for relocating present families
and business places now in the
area.
Approved Last Month
The redevelopment plan for
the Second Precinct neighbour
hood-also known as Northwest
Urban Renewal Project Area
No. WAS approved by the
District Commissioners last
October 10. This latest plan
was adopted by the National
Capital Planning Commission
on September IL. Notifications
adopted on that date included
an exclusion Of public housing
on scattered sites"
The plan, as originally
adopted, had a provision to
permit use of individual dwal-
ings as public housing sites
without a specification in the
plan of their location. That
provision was found to be
legally Objectionable" by the
District Corporation Counsel,
and required amendments of
the plan to exclude that provi-
sion.
Redevelopment in urban
renewal areas is carried out by
the Rdevelopment Land Agency
in accordance with an urban
renewal plan or blueprint
adopted by the planning COM
mission and approved by the
Commissioners.
After an open session today,
the RIA Board went into a
CLOSED meeting to discuss the
controversial Columbia Plaza
urban renewal area in Foggy
Bottom, where the redeveloper
chosen by the agency has been
declared in default of perform
ance on a contract to purchase
the land.
The developer is the Columbia
Plaza Corp, which contracted
TO buy the eight acre site
bounded by Twenty fifth,
Twenty-third, and E streets
and Virginia avenue NV. for
SIS. 481 ,263. The agency says
the purchase was to have been
concluded last February.
Phil A. Doyle. RIA executive
director, said the corporation
has been given until December
Is to cure" the refault by pur-
chasing the land.
Another Meeting Tuesday
Mr.. Doyle said that at the
closed session today the board
discussed the course of &C.
ton to be pursued in the event
the contract remains in de-
fault until the deadline.
IF it isn't cured by that
time" he said, I'VE should be
in a position to take action
promptly" The RIA official
said the board has set a special
meeting for next Tuesday ito
go into the whole question of
the Columbia Plaza plan and
how to go about selecting an
other developer in case that
is necessary"
The majority stockholders Of
the Columbia Plaza Corp,
which includes the Shannon g.
Luchs real estate organization,
builder John McShain and
others, is understood to have
proposed a transfer Of control
of the corporation to D. F. An
tonelli. jr., and Kingdom Gould,
minority stockholders, but RIA
has indicated it would not ap-
prove such a transfer.