Estimated obligations and expenditures, fiscal years 1955 to 1963, additional House Office Building project

Mr. STEWART. I have a short statement I would like to read into the record.

Mr. STEED. Very well. We will have that at this point, and then we will follow with questions.

Mr. STEWART. The additional House Office Building was authorized by Public Law 24, 84th Congress, approved April 22, 1955. A total of $85,500,000 has been appropriated to date. We are asking $8,500,000 for 1963 to liquidate contract authority.

Page 119 gives a breakdown of the project and shows that all work is being done by the Architect of the Capitol under the direction of the House Office Building Commission.

Pages 120 and 121 show that seven squares have been acquired under the additional House Office Building project. Page 120 shows that five of these squares, acquired in 1955-56, have been cleared of structures and graded; also, shows the present use to which each square is being put. Page 121 gives a report on the acquisition of the two squares, known as square 732, acquired in December under an appropriation of $5 million provided for such purpose.

Page 122 gives a list of the various architects, engineers, and consultants for the project.

Pages 123 and 124 show the accommodations to be provided in the third House Office Building; show that work under contracts for foundation test borings, relocation of sewer on site, and excavation, excavation bracing, foundation piles, and pile caps for the new building has been completed; that work under structural steel contract is complete, with the exception of a few minor items; that work under superstructure contract is now in progress and is scheduled for completion by August 1964, and that occupancy of the new building is expected to commence prior to completion.

Page 125 shows the accommodations to be gained through remodeling of the Old House Office Building, when done. It also shows that the garage in the courtyard, providing parking for 301 automobiles, was completed at a cost of $1,326,255, and that the garage was placed in operation in June 1959. It shows that a contract has just been let for remodeling space in the Old Building, formerly occupied by the Post Office, into office accommodations for the Disbursing Office of the House of Representatives, at a cost of $298,480. It further shows that further remodeling work in the Old Building is being deferred by order of the House Office Building Commission and is in the planning stage only.

Pages 126 to 128 show the accommodations to be gained through remodeling of the New House Office Building, when done. They also show that the cafeteria in the courtyard, seating 575 persons, was completed at a cost of $961,843, and the new cafeteria was placed in operation February 5, 1959.

They also show that the space formerly occupied by the cafeteria. and take-out bar was converted into new quarters for the House Post Office; that improved illumination was provided in three committee rooms; that part of the area formerly occupied by the folding room was converted into a take-out bar; that bids are expected to be invited in April 1962 for construction of two pedestrian tunnels connecting the third building with the New and Old House Office Buildings and that construction work is expected to be carried forward during

the period June 1962 to August 1963. It also shows that further remodeling work in the new building is being deferred by order of the House Office Building Commission and is in the planning stage only. Pages 128 and 129 show that a contract for underpinning the House wing of the Capitol for construction of a subway terminal at the House wing was let September 19, 1961, in the amount of $2,695,000. Under the terms of the contract, the work is due for completion June 3, 1963, which is over a year in advance of the final completion of the building. They also show that the matter of landscape development of the 5 squares acquired for the project is still under study and that preliminary plans have been developed and initial work started.

Page 129 shows obligations totaling $91,664,513 for the fiscal years 1955 through 1961 and obligations totaling $8,290,064 for the fiscal year 1962, or a total for the period 1955 through 1962 of $99,954,577. It shows estimated obligations of $3,784,000 for the fiscal year 1963, or a grand total of $103,738,577 from the start of the project through the fiscal year 1963. It shows disbursement to date of $55,615,200. It shows total required disbursements from start of project through the fiscal year 1963 of $94 million. It shows that as only $85,500,000 has been appropriated to date, an additional appropriation of $8,500,000 is required for liquidation of obligations in 1963.

BREAKDOWN OF MAJOR ITEMS

Mr. STEED. Do you have a figure or estimate that would serve the purpose of setting aside out of this total those costs that can be directly attributed to the building itself? People who criticize this project often make the somewhat understandable mistake of labeling the entire cost as that of the building itself. Of course, there have been many other substantial items of cost connected with the entire project that have nothing to do directly with the building itself. I thought it would be helpful to have that in detail.

Mr. STEWART. I can give you a breakdown that shows the cost of the building and site to be, in round figures, $70 million.

Mr. STEED. I know these figures are in here, but I thought we should set them out by themselves.

Mr. STEWART. We have the following breakdown: Acquisition of property, protection and demolition of structures, grading, and miscellaneous incidental expenses, $14,100,000; construction and equipment of additional House Office Building, including construction of new sewer, $68 million; subway and subway transportation system, including underpinning of Capitol for terminal, $6,600,000; remodeling of Old Home Office Building, including construction of garage in courtyard, $9 million; remodeling of New House Office Building, including construction and equipment of cafeteria in courtyard, $9,500,000; architectural and engineering fees, $5,545,500; administration, miscellaneous and contingencies, $2,254,500. Total contract authorization shown in 1963 budget, $115 million.

Mr. STEED. Right there, could you state what part of this $115 million is not part of the $104 million previously referred to? Mr. HENLOCK. It is all in the remodeling money.

Mr. STEED. The remodeling money is not part of the $104 million?

Mr. Erstock. Except the work that has been doce constrating the afstema, pange, novelling the post oŵre and xter states and the pedestrian nommels yet to be bice. They occe to about & milka Mr. Rice. The land is not a pan of

Mr. Stazn. I wanted to make it dear so the frames would are more fise appice. I know this estimate of 85.3 mile for iscal 1963 appropriate was made some time ago. Are you sure as a soci Cuprice!

Mr. STEWART. It is a sorod igre. I am sure

STATUS OF SQUARE 712

Mr. STEED. I believe than square is the area directly across the street south from the 011 Library of Congr

Mr. STEED. What is the total amor paid for that square!

M: HEROCKoost to kort &

M-SE Are all the tatims sertled!

Mr. Rostock. All saims have been settled finally be fre pameis of imperty.

Me Six Cold you list those!

ME. STEWART. There are I 11 parels of property in square The Is dire ital settlement proces have been efered with the owne are of all bus fire pamela. All residential properties were rautel possession of the same surrendered to the Government by Octocer They are now being badlisted mer eccmman let October

Of these Sve pamels, they represent the Capital Hill Cab propermes and four other parels that are rest bential and involve socie jarMr. Staza. Those are legal technicalities involving estates that taÃR

M= STEWART. That of orber reasons.

Ma STEER What is the amorms of the motrat you have underway now for the demolition of the old walking!

Mr. Hestock. The contractor is paying the Govemment about to near down and salvage the fallings.

D. He does the demolition for the salvage plus that extra

Mr. STEWART. He gives as $3.00

MT. STEEL. That would be defamed from the amount that you pali for the property tself!

WA. STEWART. That's right: the 8000 wold be edited against in Mr. Stem In ye bow what the total obliqued igize for the SOLLTEST to this point!

Kr. Have $200 The abs in appraisals, daaring of 200 regbing ele in wazection with the acquisition

Mr. Stn. Has that been the most expensive square of all you had

KE START. Yes, sir: because of the beaton Omelle of the property where the Congressional Hotel is located, I would say it ☛ and be the most expensive of all of them

Mr. STEED. The commercial properties fronting on Independence Avenue had an extension of time to vacate?

Mr. STEWART. To May 1, 1962. That was set by the court. I might say that every one of them has signed up and agreed to the order to vacate by May 1.

Mr. STEED. You have no more problem, then, on that? Mr. STEWART. No, sir. They are subject on May 1 to eviction by the court, if it is so ordered. Most of them are making arrangements to get out now.

Mr. STEED. What is the status of the plan to develop the square after it is finally acquired, cleared, and ready for use?

Mr. STEWART. There are two plans under study at the present time. One is location of the James Madison Memorial on that square with an underground structure for the Library of Congress, which will not be determined until after a report is made by the Subcommittee on Public Works headed by Congressman Jones on a pending bill. The subcommittee has already had hearings on the bill.

The other proposal is to landscape the entire area as a part of the Capitol Grounds. These are the only two firm proposals that I know that have been talked about.

The square itself is not large enough to erect a building, both underground and aboveground, that would be sufficient to take care of the needs of the Library of Congress for the 35-year period for which I was ordered to plan. It means that the underground structure in that square plus an additional parcel of property for a third building is going to be required to cover the Library requirements.

Mr. STEED. Do you have a time when the lot has to be cleared?

Mr. STEWART. I would say that around May 1 or shortly thereafter there will be a demolition contract let, and in about 6 months it will be cleared and leveled off.

Mr. STEED. Will it offer any temporary relief on parking until Congress decides what will be done with it?

Mr. STEWART. Not unless it is paved. The demolition contractor will leave cellar foundations, and soil will be bulldozed around and scraped. It will be left in a rough-finish condition. It will have to be graveled or blacktopped if used for parking of automobiles.

Mr. HORAN. I wonder, Mr. Chairman, if we should not ask at this point what the prospects of the Jones subcommittee reporting out something definite are.

Mr. STEWART. I cannot give you any definite information on that point at this time.

COSTS OF PRESENT REMODELING WORK

Mr. STEED. In regard to the information on page 127 of the justifications, I think it would help the record if we got a little more detail on that. For one thing this may seem a little facetious-but we have to be most careful. When you refer to takeout bar, you are referring to a sandwich bar and not the sort of bar someone might suspect?

Mr. STEWART. That is right, sir.