I make this statement because we must, under the authority granted, submit these problems to this committee. The various departments and agencies cannot come in here and tell you their problems because if they did you would be in session for the rest of the year. But we have a continuing housing problem just the same as the Bureau of Public Roads has a continuing problem in roads and the War Department has a continuing problem in rivers and harbors. Mr. TABER. In making up this estimate I would like to have you give us some memoranda showing how much per square foot these buildings are supposed to cost. According to the figures that Mr. Wigglesworth has, the cost of these buildings is estimated somewhere around $1.16 per square foot, and that seems to be way out of line with the figure that Mr. Purdum informally suggested as the cost of the Post Office Building, which was only about half of that amount. It really should be on a lower basis because of the size of this building, with a smaller percentage of outer walls than you have in the Post Office Building. I cannot understand that set-up. Mr. REYNOLDS. I think you are confusing, in the first instance, cubic feet and square feet. In figuring on a building we figure on the basis of the cost of the building itself to the United States, including everything, the plans, specifications, and so forth. The land is always separate because the cost of the land is a variable item, over which we have no control whatsoever. The cost of the building, as I recall, is estimated at around 60 cents, or in that vicinity. It has been 4 or 5 months since I have gone into the figures, but as I remember it, that is correct. Mr. WIGGLESWORTH. Per cubic foot? Mr. REYNOLDS. Yes; per cubic foot. It is our intent to build this building just as plain as we can of commercial and Federal character, but that it have enough architectural treatment that it may compare favorably with the remainder of the buildings in the District. The Procurement Division is not favorable to great expense for ornament on any of these buildings, and I believe you will find on buildings recently designed by the Procurement Division that excess ornament has been kept to a minimum. Mr. BOYLAN. On the other hand, this being the Capital City, the buildings ought to have a certain amount of dignified arrangement. Mr. REYNOLDS. Yes, sir. Mr. BOYLAN. Because we are building for a long time ahead, and for the whole country, and we should build buildings to show the rest of the country, so that they could be used as models in their own municipalities. Mr. REYNOLDS. Yes, sir. Mr. WIGGLESWORTH. A comparable figure for the Post Office Department building was 52 cents per cubic foot. Mr. REYNOLDS. As I recall, that is correct, but the contract for the Post Office Department was let at the time of the very lowest price level at which you could build buildings in this country and the 52-cent rate applied only to the superstructure. Mr. SNYDER. In what year was that? Mr. REYNOLDS. That was in 1932, as I remember it, and that was when everything reached bottom. Contracting organizations were bidding on jobs without profit, and manufacturers of materials were bidding without profit in order to keep their overhead going. But they are not doing that today. Mr. BACON. If the contract for the Post Office Department Building were let today, it would cost probably well over 60 cents per cubic foot, would it not? Mr. REYNOLDS. I think it would be nearer 70 cents, because of the expensive character of the building. It has curved walls. Mr. BACON. In other words, taking comparable figures, as between. this proposed building and the Post Office Department Building, the cost of this building today would be about 60 cents a cubic foot, while the cost for the Post Office Department Building would be over 70 cents per cubic foot. Mr. REYNOLDS. That is approximately correct as will be noted from the comparative statement given in the record. PROPOSED DIVISION OF SPACE BY FUNCTIONS IN THE NEW WAR DEPARTMENT BUILDING Mr. TABER. About what percentage of the square footage of this proposed War Department Building would be for files and what percentage would be for office purposes? Also, what percentage would run into ornate construction, like auditoriums, conference rooms and things of that kind? Mr. REYNOLDS. May I read this list of figures, which presents the present occupied space used by the War Department? The net office space now occupied is 464,825 square feet. The space occupied by active files is 151,663 square feet; the space occupied by semiactive files is 249,698 square feet. That is the type we were discussing that would be adaptable to another building. The executive departments, exclusive of independent agencies, report today space used by them for semiactive files to be 463,000 square feet. The War Department further reports dead files, 1,500 square feet; for supplies, 54,643 square feet; for storage, 42,798 square feet; for miscellaneous services, 49,841 square feet; for technical laboratories, 23,631 square feet; for restaurants, 7,716 square feet; for libraries, 28,598 square feet; for conference rooms, auditoriums, and so forth, 41,653 square feet; miscellaneous, 72,364 square feet; making a total net space of 1,188,936 square feet. That would be changed somewhat, but that also presents a problem to us as to the amount of file space that may be occupied in a building without detriment to the cost of that building. When we put in basements in these buildings, as is proposed for the War Department, we might as well use them. Of course, there is the mechanical plant in the basement, and we try to utilize certain areas of the basement for files and semiactive files. Mr. TABER. I think you ought to put that in the shape of a table so that we can follow it through and have the figures all together. Mr. REYNOLDS. Yes, sir; we will be glad to do that. Mr. REYNOLDS. This is a statement of what they now occupy, and we have not gone into this detail to know what would be in the future building. We do know that a building that is no larger, and provides no more space than it now has, is not too large. Mr. TABER. If you could give us any kind of a break-down showing how this space would work out in the new building, I would like to have it, as to how much would be available for offices, how much for 148745-37-10 files, how much for auditoriums and conference rooms, and all that sort of thing, so that we would have a chance to look it over. Mr. REYNOLDS. We will furnish that to you. Mr. WOODRUм. Have you such a statement? Mr. REYNOLDS. We will work one out. (The statement referred to above is as follows:) Division of space by function as proposed for the new War Department Building Secretary of War. Square feet Assistant Secretary of War. The Adjutant General.. Chief of Staff _ _ _ General of the Armies.. Judge Advocate General. Insular Affairs, Bureau of Coast Artillery, Chief of.. Infantry, Chief of National Guard Bureau Chemical Warfare. Organized Reserves.. Army Mutual Aid Association. Sixteenth Brigade Headquarters Cavalry, Chief of.. Army War College Telephone Division_ National Board for Promotion of Rifle Practice. Welfare service... Medical dispensary. Photo and blueprint laboratory. Auditorium and conference room Restaurants. Filing room. 12,000 Total. 1, 051, 851 Space for special equipment, laboratories, duplicating units, display rooms, etc.. Character of space as proposed for the new War Department Building Office space- Square feet 449, 164 Files.. 79, 178 364, 414 Mr. WOODRUM. If you have not already done that, on what basis do you arrive at the present figures as to more space requirements? Mr. REYNOLDS. It has been fairly well broken down by the War Department, and we have made diagrammatic sketches, but they cannot be followed as final space assignments. We know, however, that they will require 1,100,000 square feet. The War Department say they will occupy more than that, but we feel that this building can be built, based on the experience in the triangle group and the new Department of Interior Building, within the amount requested. Mr. TABER. In the case of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing Building, after the estimates were gotten up we had to increase the limit of cost $825,000. Now we are asked to increase the limit of cost of the Government Printing Office about $3,000,000. I am wondering if the $26,000,000 estimate for the War Department Building is something along that same line. Would we be expected to increase that about $10,000,000 after another year? Mr. REYNOLDS. We can guarantee, I think, that this building will be constructed within the present limit of cost now available, unless prices, which are beyond our control, change materially over what they are at the present time. Other factors, as previously outlined, affected the project for the Public Printer. REASON FOR SELECTING THE PARTICULAR SITE FOR THE NEW BUILDING Mr. LUDLOW. On this site where you propose to locate the building, there is now considerable valuable improved property, is there not, including a large and comparatively new apartment house, facing Twenty-third Street, between New York Avenue and B Street? Mr. REYNOLDS. That is true. Mr. LUDLOW. At what valuation does the Government take that building over? Mr. REYNOLDS. Our process is first to get an offer from the people owning the property. Mr. LUDLOW. You have no option. Mr. REYNOLDS. No, sir; then we have an appraisal made by 'Treasury appraisers, and after that we negotiate with the owners as to the purchase price. Mr. LUDLOW. And you sometimes resort to condemnation. Mr. REYNOLDS. Yes, sir; if we do not agree on a price, we resort to condemnation. Mr. LUDLOW. What I have in mind is this: There are numerous other squares down there that do not have such improved property on them, and where the property is relatively worthless. That being true, why is this particular site chosen when those other squares are available? Mr. REYNOLDS. It is the feeling of the National Capital Park and Planning Commission that this area should be used for Government buildings. Mr. LUDLOW. Will it be cleaned up? Mr. REYNOLDS. Yes, sir. Mr. LUDLOW. Is this carrying out the ideas of the National Fine Arts Commission? Mr. REYNOLDS. This is the National Capital Park and Planning Commission. It is within their province. Mr. LUDLOW. They think that particular site is the proper one. Mr. LUDLOW. It is undoubtedly more expensive. Mr. REYNOLDS. Yes, sir. They want us to locate it on that property. Mr. LUDLOW. I imagine there are other sites in that area or region that could be purchased at a much less price. Mr. REYNOLDS. They have studied the entire area trying to plan as far in advance as possible. SOLUTION OF THE PARKING PROBLEM Mr. BACON. In this connection with this new building for the War Department, and, also, for the Navy Department, which latter will come along eventually, have you made any study of the parking situation? Mr. REYNOLDS. We have made a great deal of study of parking, as such. It is our belief that to provide parking space in a building, except in a limited area, is too expensive. Mr. Delano, the Chairman of the National Capitol Park and Planning Commission has a thought, which I think is very good, that eventually, that by taking blocks conveniently located and depressing them about 3 or 4 feet, with a hedge about them, provision could be made for cars. We have studied the question of underground garages, and have made an estimate for such in the Great Plaza, but the cost was great. It is too great to be an economical proposition. Mr. BACON. To put a low hedge around the lot would be a cheaper way to do it. Mr. REYNOLDS. Yes, sir; that would be the inexpensive way of handling it. Mr. BACON. It seems to me that that is the one big problem you will have by having Government buildings congested in one area. Mr. REYNOLDS. It is a large problem, and the National Capitol Park and Planning Commission in their studies have been trying to work out a unified group of buildings so there would not be so much congestion in one area. For that reason they are giving consideration to buildings in the southwest rectangle, so that clerks working in those buildings can live in the southeast and northeast, and not locate everything in the northwest. Mr. LUDLOW. What did the new Navy Department Building cost? Mr. REYNOLDS. They have no new building. Mr. LUDLOW. Where was it intended to put a permanent building? Mr. REYNOLDS. The present Navy Building was constructed during the World War. The first floor was on a fill, and it settled badly. Mr. LUDLOW. How does the ground area there compare with the ground area for this proposed building? Mr. REYNOLDS. I would not know. Mr. BOYLAN. Have you given any attention to the development of the section on East Capitol Street? Mr. REYNOLDS. The National Capitol Park and Planning Commission have given a great deal of thought to it. They wanted to develop East Capitol Street in order to distribute the traffic in the city. They have some proposed development on East Capitol Street for an auditorium or stadium. Mr. WOODRUM. If there is nothing further, we will adjourn now, and call on you again if we need any further information. |