Construction begins on Trump’s new White House ballroom
President Donald Trump announced that construction on a new 90,000 square-foot White House ballroom has officially begun. While speaking with reporters on Friday, Trump pointed out the work vehicles as crews cut down trees, removed shrubs and dug up portions of the South Lawn.
“Right there you see all the trucks,” Trump said. “They just started construction of the new ballroom for the White House.”
The ballroom, originally announced back in August, will be located in the East Wing and is estimated to cost $200 million.
Project details
In its original announcement, the White House said the ballroom will hold approximately 650 people when finished. However, Trump told NBC News that the plan has since changed, with it now expected to seat around 900.
“We’re making it a little bigger. It will be top of the line, as good as it can get anywhere in the world,” Trump told NBC.
Specific details on the layout, design and location of the ballroom have not been released publicly. However, the White House said it will require offices to be moved, including the first lady’s.
Commission approval
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The new ballroom will be the biggest change the White House exterior has seen since 1942, when Franklin D. Roosevelt added the East Wing to conceal an underground bunker.
According to The Wall Street Journal, so far, the White House has not submitted the project to the National Capital Planning Commission. The commission is a government body that typically reviews plans for changes to federal properties within the capital region.
However, during one of the commission’s public meetings, White House staff secretary and head of the panel Will Scharf said the commission does not have jurisdiction over demolition or site preparation.
Scharf said the board deals with construction and vertical builds, so the White House hasn’t had to seek approval yet.
“I think any assertion that this commission should have been consulted earlier than it has been, or it will be, is simply false,” he said.
Scharf called the ballroom “one of the most exciting construction projects in modern history.” He noted that when it comes time to actually build anything, the administration should go through the panel for approval. That process could result in changes to the design plans and the timeline.
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White House ballroom designs
“Given the president’s history as a builder, and given the plans that we’ve seen publicly, I think this will be a tremendous addition to the White House complex, a sorely needed addition,” Scharf said.
The ballroom is the biggest change the White House exterior has seen since 1942, when Franklin D. Roosevelt expanded the East Wing.
Purpose of the new ballroom
The Trump administration said the White House has long had a need for a larger event space on the property.
The initial statement said that due to the current seating capacity of 200 people, the White House has not been able to host any major functions without having to install a large tent outside the main building entrance.
It said the new ballroom will allow current and future administrations to host world leaders and other countries within the building, rather than outside.
Who is footing the bill?
According to press secretary Karoline Leavitt, Trump and his “Patriot donors” will pay for the entire project.
“President Trump and other donors have generously committed to donating the funds necessary to build this,” Leavitt said.
This will be the most expensive renovation under the Trump administration. It’ll cost even more than the pave-over at the Rose Garden, the Golden Oval Office or towering flagpoles outside.
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