Explanation of 1971 Appropriation Request

Request for an appropriation of $15,610,000 to commence construction of the Library of Congress James Madison Memorial Building, has been included in our 1971 Budget requests at the direction of the Chairman of the Coordinating Committee for this project, acting on behalf of the Committee and Commissions charged by Public Law 89-260 with control over this project.

the Senate.

This amount was previously included in the 1970 Budget requests, as an amendment to the original 1970 Budget submission, by direction of the Coordinating Committee, but was not allowed for 1970 by either the House or Appropriation of funds to commence construction has been deferred until enactment of legislation increasing the limit of cost, as provided by the requirements of the 1970 Legislative Branch Appropriation Act, cited on the second page of the justifications for this item.

The 1971 estimate of $15,610,000 is based on construction work, of which $1,710,000 is for excavation and footings, $7,900,000 for foundation, mat and walls up to the first floor, and $6,000,000 for quarrying, fabrication and delivery of the exterior marble, granite, or other stone required for the superstructure.

The 1971 estimate contemplates constructing the building under three separate contracts, instead of under a single construction contract. Such a procedure was approved by the Commissions and Committee in charge of the project at meetings held in August 1967. Under such procedure, it is proposed to let one contract for excavation and sheeting, foundation, mat, and walls up to the first floor; one contract for quarrying, fabricating, and delivering exterior marble, granite, or other stone required for the superstructure; and one contract for the superstructure, itself. Funds for the superstructure, on this basis, are proposed to be requested in the 1972 Budget.

The purpose of a 3-stage construction program is to effect a reduction in the time required for construction; to enable earlier completion and occupancy of the building; to effect reductions in temporary rental costs being incurred annually by the Librarian for leasing of space in other buildings now required to meet space shortages in the Library Buildings; to reduce the ultimate cost of the project by avoiding from 12 to 16 months additional escalation costs anticipated to result from necessary delay in award of a single construction contract. The Associate Architects estimate that 54 months will be required for construction under a 3-phase

construction program.

Under the 3-phase construction program, it is estimated that $9,610,000 for excavation and foundation work would be obligated in the fiscal year 1971, and $6,000,000 for the exterior stone in the fiscal year 1972. The Associate Architects recommend that the $6,000,000 for stone be included in the 1971 appropriation, in order not to delay invitation of bids and award of a contract for such stone, in the event the 1972 appropriation act is not enacted until the late summer or fall of 1971. Of the total to be obligated for the foregoing work, it is estimated that $3,000,000 would be disbursed in the fiscal year 1971.

The project has been discussed at length in previous Hearings and both the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations have recorded their sentiments towards this project in prior year reports on previous requests for funds for this project, and are, accordingly, familiar with the details of this project.

The Library of Congress James Madison Memorial Building is authorized by Public Law 89-260 to be constructed on Square 732, being the two blocks located directly south of the Main Library of Congress Building and directly east of the Cannon House Office Building. Square 732 is, as stated in

previous Hearings, now government-owned, having been acquired by the Architect of the Capitol in 1960 under authority of the Additional House Office Building Act of 1955, at the direction of the House Office Building Commission.

Under

the provisions of Order issued by the Commission, October 17, 1967, (incorporated in 40 U.S.C. 193 a., Supplement IV), implementing the requirements of the 1955 Act, Square 732 is now maintained as a part of the United States Capitol Grounds and will continue to be so maintained until commencement of construction of the new Library-Madison Building.

BUILDING DESCRIPTION AND COST ESTIMATE: 1970

SUBCOMMITTEE HEARINGS

Senator MONTOYA. To provide continuity in the record on this construction, I will ask that a description of the building and a comparative estimate of cost as printed in last year's hearing record will be included also at this point.

(The excerpt follows:)

DESCRIPTION OF THE BUILDING

Site: Square 732, bounded on the north by Independence Avenue, on the south by "C" Street, on the west by First Street, and on the east by Second Street. Building Dimensions:

Above grade: Length 514 feet; width, 414 feet.

Below grade: Length 614 feet; width 495 feet.

Building Areas:

Gross Area, 2,112,492 sq. ft.

Net assignable area, 1,702,904 sq. ft.

James Madison Memorial Hall (included in net assignable area), 15,200 sq. ft.

Floors in Building (from Independence Avenue):

Above grade: Six plus mechanical equipment penthouse.

Below grade: Three.

Building height (from Independence Avenue):

First five floors, 71.5 ft.

Sixth floor, 83.0 ft.

Mechanical equipment penthouse roof, 101.5 ft.

General characteristics of the building:

The proposed building is a marble and/or granite structure covering 60.1 percent of the gross area of the plot measured curb to curb. The building is set back 78 feet from Independence Avenue, 39 feet from "C" Street, and 61 feet from First and Second Streets.

The main public entrance to the building is from Independence Avenue midway between First and Second streets. There are supplemental entrances provided on both First and Second Streets part way between Independence Avenue and "C" Street. Additional personnel entrances are provided on "C" Street.

The building is connected with the Cannon House Office Building by a pedestrian and service tunnel and is further connected with both the Main Building and the Annex of the Library of Congress by a pedestrian and service tunnel.

The building has four main service cores containing vertical transportation, conveyor and pneumatic tube stations, and various service facilities. These four main cores are supplemented by a public core directly at the main entrance from Independence Avenue and by a service core located to the rear of the screened truck dock at "C" Street.

The main entrance at grade level on Independence Avenue is two stories in height; it opens on a public lobby, which serves as an entrance to the James Madison Memorial Hall and to the reading rooms and service areas of the Library. The main entrance lobby continues into the building and terminates in an interior, landscaped court extending from the First Floor through the Third Floor. The interior court is approximately 75 feet by 87 feet; it is artificially lighted and conditioned to provide a point of reference for human scale for the central portion of the building. The James Madison Memorial Reading Room surrounds the court on three sides of the First Floor.