:Tsmee/a: y. No Objection to in Part 2013/02/15: LOC- I-IIAK- 448- 4 9I I -. 1 THE WHITE HOUSE WASHINGTON August 1'1, 1970' ?Dear Mr. Hoover; I appreciate very much your letter of August 7, 1970, advising 1 of the interest on the part of Soviet Embassy representatives acquiring the Highview' Towers apartment building lacetEd Your timely action in providing this information has made it - .. 'poss1ble to take the steps described in a memorandum for the - record which I am enclosing herewith for your retention. I . Effective coverage Of this development by the FBI under your I . -- direction 18 a most. important contribution, and I am deeply .1 I - grateful for your continued support in matters of vital con-I 5 i i cern to the national security. warm regards, Henr FA. Kissinger I - Honorable Edgar Hoover Director Federal Bureau of Investigation 1 Washington, D. C. .IPI I I Enclosure" FBI NSS Reviews Completed - 1? we OInjectionItngeCIassifiCation in Part 2013/02/15: en- II I. NQI Objection to DeclaSSIflcatlon in Part 2013/02/15: LOC I4: 10 9 THE WHITE HOUSE Fem wasnmoron I. II . LI MEMORANDUM RUSS FROM .- . New Sevi'et Embassy Washington, D. c. Based on the attached and after clearing with Henry, I instructed I . to make the 5 million. airailahle pre?emptwe purchase of the Highview Towers. I also instructed I . I Bill Sullivan to coordinate with in the morning I I . . I II(Aug.uetI 11,1970) and to arrange for the pro-eruptive purchase. of - 'IIthe building. Finally, I told Mr. Schlesinger, Deputy Director, I I - Bureau of the Budget,? \to the tune of 5 . Ior more if required to close the dea1.II . . . II Before proceeding with the foregoing, I coordinated with the I Department of State to insure that they concur in thiIeI solution. They agreed that this was the best course Iof action in View of the I I brief period of time available to us to preclude Soviet acquiSition I .1 unofjhe facility. In taking this action, it is understood that the I Federal Bureau of Investigation will continue its ongoing .j-to obtain a private purchaser for the site under cond1tiOns which IwI?ould permit its exploitation. - II'W'Iould you please formalize the foregoing action by preparing response to Mr. Hoover' a letter for Dr. Kissinger' a signature and by means of a memorandum for record, copies of which should .. be furniShed to Mr. Schlesinge? ?Mr. Hoover 25x1 . pend ?Tom? Huston of the White House Staff.-.- ..- ., I, I .I 1. .I 5'11. I.I- - pal-Irm- -. 1 No ObjectloIhI to DeclaSSIflcatIon in Part 2013/02/15 LQC- 4- 10- 9 1,41 gang!? 4.2.11. .. . . - SECRET building. Tn this end it is an nd d? Zi??i?gsteIps to transfer to the Federal Bureau of Inve-stigatio . the Sum of 500, -000 (or more if needed) for use in the 1lpre emptive purchase of the apartment buildings-.with the understanding ?3Objectlon to DeclaSSIflcatlon in Part 2013/02/15 HAK 448 4 10 -5 MEMORANDUM - - - . -- - -- -- WASHINGTON August FOR THE RECORD SUBJECT Acquisition of Highview Towers Apartment Building I Hashington, D. C. tr.? 6 fgifUnder date of August 7,1970 the Director of the Federa1 Bureau of 7,4IInvestigation reported that representatiVes of the Soviet Embassy,' _41_Washington, D. 6., were negotiating the purchase of the Highview s"?Towers Apartment Building located at 2700 WisconsinI Avenue, ?Washington, D. C. (The property and present ownership are described memorandum dated August 4, 1970, attached hereto. The asking m?I Tipprice_ is said to be 500, 000 and the Soviets are seeking to close L'?t?the transaction by August 11,1970 1 . ?1 1' The following aspects of this development are of immediate na tiona1 I?l??-seIcurity cIoncernThe apartment building is located at the corner of, and adjacent to-, -the former Mt.- -A1to Veterans Ig Hospital property which has been mede available to the Union as the site for construction at a new Soviet ??j?Embassy. - - community that if they are denied access. to the apartment THE WHITE HOUSE is the judgment of member agencies of the U. S. intelligence 5_ 1; ,building, which is the highest structure in the immediate area, ?1 it will not be possible to conduct essential intelligence EI operations against the new Soviet Embassy. From the at-andpoint of national security it is in the interest of the ?.Unit.ed States Government to preclude Soviet acquisition of the apartment of the Bureau of the Budge 25x1 "Tor sac-m ?rpm, 7* . pic-5N0 Objection to Declassmcatlon in Part 2013/02/15 LOC HAK-448I4910 tIhe Federal Bureau of Investigation is request.ed to pursue J'Iefforts to obtain a private purchaser for the building under conditions willI permit its exploitation for intelligIence purposes.? I The sensitiVity of the subject matter requires th at it be closIel held itzamong those having an absolute need Ito know. 1?5V?@1Attachment J..Edgar Hoover II 1' IILJ Director, Federal Bureau - ?Of Investigation (w/att-..- .5- - . . I "?T~prMr. James R. Schlesinger - I- '3 Deputy Director, Bureau of the Budget (w/att) Mr. Tom C. Huston 1' '1 a 111' Iwa1- 1 I I- White House Staff (w/att) a" I 1?06 9 oar/Lin MI, 7353massacm 1' No Objectlon to DeclaSSIflcatlon in Part 2013/02/15 am ir- if!? Ir N0 Objectlon Part 2013/02/15 ILOC HAK-448 4-10 9 . - 4, 3197-0EE. . mew Irv Townes APARTMENTS 2700 Wisconsin Avenue, N. W. I.jIgf;4] Washington, D. C. The H3ghv1ew owers apartment building is located -mangIatE 2700E W5.s?onsin Avenue, N. W., Washington, D. C. The ..4 I .2fUTlocation is describedin Volnme of "Baists? Surveys of ngton" as being located on Square 1932 and consisting itxgi?I13LOi two 1ots, lot No. 1 containing 6, 892 square feet with an .I bt??kjasgesgment of $110, 272. 00, and lot No. 801 containing 4, 585 Vuaq4gf?jsquare feet at an assessment of $73, 360. 00. Improvements . . ?*Vih,on the 1Eand are assessed at $280, 000. 00 for a total assess?. for land and improvements of $463, 632. 00. Annual taxI ,~;444415 $14 372. 59 I The area is zoned Cmedium density). TheE bnilding is presentlyE lowned by a corporation . ~44941jentit1ed Highview Towers, Inc., 50 perc cent of the stock of ?_"TAthich corporation is owned by William, Donald, James and . I Peter Calomiris. The remaining 50 per cent of the stock .of is owned by John C. Pyles, General WZIX 134444 Vicenpresident of the Riggs National Bank. The asking price. V4ff.,141for this buildinv is 500, 000. I00. ..-I, Columbia Real EstatEe Ti t1e. EInsurance Company, II 1422 H. Street,N . W., Washington, D. is handling the 'pending transaction. - . . The .bnilding includes 41gb stories plus basement . 'VwEg??ifand contains .a tetal of 94 apartment units. It is constructed brick and reinforced concrete, and has a toEtal volume of 'I_w:566, 000 cubic feet. The 94 apartments include 70 unfurnished -- efficiency apartments, ten furnished efficiency apartments, I i?_qq; eleVen oneubedroom apartments and three tonbedroom apartments. muegw~the total annual ren?tal income is 149, 202 00 Iior the 94 - V1 units. 1 -~4_rgq Vacancy Erate is negligible and the turn?over rate 'iagII}is eatremely low.7-.. ,1 I .. I..-.-..-. . . . . . I IanE-E-EI . w. . .. I..- Ma?a .?lr . .. No Objection to i__n 2013/02/15 LOC E4-E E1EE0EE-