Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-10-13

Fourth street and the grounds
Of Amidon School. The western
boundary is Seventh street and
Maine avenue, and is adjacent
to Thomas jefferson Junior
High school and q proposed
site for st. Dominic's School
just north Of the junior high
school.
The land cost for each Of
the 282 elevator apartments in
one project would be $1,704,
under the proposed pricing.
The land cost per unit in the
446-unit elevator project would
be $1,87S.
The unit cost Of the land
for each walkup apartment
would be $2,172.
The lot price for each town
house proposed to sell for
from $4,000 to s45,Oo0) is
$4,094.
Land Rates Vary
In recent years, the National
Capital Housing Authority has
had to pay generally from
$4.20 to $4.93 per square foot
for land it purchased for pub
lie housing sites. with one
transaction requiring payment
in excess Of So q square foot,
based on the market value.
NCHA's land cost for each
unit in the Park Morton devel-
opment, Georgia avenue and
Park road NV. including site
clearance. was $4.093. These are
walkup units.
For Greenleaf Gardens on M
street S.W. adjacent to the
Southwest redevelopment area,
the land cost per unit was $2,-
885, including clearance. These
are mostly elevator apartments.
In the case Of Arthur Capper
Dwellings, on M street Sc, the
land cost to NCHA, including
clearance, was 1929 per unit
Five-sixths Of the 612 units In
this project are in elevator
buildings.
A spokesman for the publ,
housing agency said land 70,
two additional development
now projected has been &C.
quired at a cost, including
clearance, Of $3,716 and $3,255
respectively, per unit.
Near q. s. Average
In an appearance before q
House Appropriations subcom-
mittee last March, Mrs. Marie
C. Mcclure, commissioner Of
the Public Housing Admins
tration, testified that the aver
age cost Of land for each public
housing unit throughout the
country was $4,000.
On the basis Of this testi-
mony, NCHA's land costs have
been either below or slightly
above the national average,
though Washington is conceded
to be a high-land-cost area.
The Redevelopment Land
Agency Is understood to feel
that the prices set on the new
parcels to be leased to Mr..
zeckendorf's corporations are
adequate. considering all cir
cumstances.
Richard r. Atkinson. vice
chairman of the RIA board,
said last night: "All the prices
have been justified to the
boards satisfaction"
Mr.. Atkinson said the board
felt, considering all the fac
tors involved. that it was get
ting the best price possible. F"
The board member pointed
oIIt that under the memoran-
dunn Of understanding entered
into between RIA and Mr..
Zeckendorf, the agency was
I limited to negotiating only
with the New Yorker for GER
tain land.
HE gets the benefit Of COM
ing in when the project was in
the Matching stage" he said.
He had the wisdom in the
beginning to come in when no
one else was willing to, and
we were glad to do business
with somebody.
IF we were free to negotiate
now, the story would be quite
different, but I'm convinced
the prices we negotiated with
him, in view of all the factors
involved, are fair and legal"
Mr.. Atkinson, who has been
a member of the RIA board
since its inception. said, how
ever, the board is not disposed
to tolerate delay in having con-
struction start.
eff he doesn't act fast. a de-
fault will be declared and we
will do something about it, !"
Mr.. Atkinson said.
Plans Disclosed
A spokesman for the Geek
endorf corporations told The
Star it was planned to start
construction of walkup apart
mentS and town houses by next
June.
Rents for walkup apartments
he said, are expected to be from
SOS a month for efficiencies
to around 5000 for two-bed-
room apartments.
The town houses, expected to
sell from $4,000 to $4,000,
would be designed by the firm
of Walter M. Macomber and
Walter G. Peter, jr., well-known
Washington architects.