White House Ballroom Project Faces April Planning Vote/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ A federal planning panel reviewing President Donald Trump’s White House ballroom project will vote on the proposal April 2. Officials delayed the decision to allow more public comments on the controversial expansion. The proposed ballroom would replace the demolished East Wing and cost about $400 million.
Trump White House Ballroom Project Quick Looks
- Federal panel reviewing the ballroom scheduled a final vote for April 2.
- The review is being conducted by the National Capital Planning Commission.
- The project would create a 90,000-square-foot ballroom at the White House.
- The structure would replace the East Wing demolished in October.
- President Donald Trump said the project would cost about $400 million.
- The ballroom would be funded with private donations, according to the White House.
- More than 100 people registered to speak during public comments.
- A preservation group has filed legal challenges against the project.
Trump White House Ballroom Project Deep Look
A federal planning commission reviewing President Donald Trump’s proposal to build a large ballroom at the White House announced Thursday that it will hold a final vote on the project April 2.
The decision was confirmed during the March meeting of the National Capital Planning Commission, which oversees major federal development projects in Washington.
Vote Delayed For Public Comment
Commission chairman Will Scharf said the panel originally expected to vote during Thursday’s meeting.
However, the vote was postponed until April to ensure members of the public have time to weigh in on the controversial construction plan.
More than 100 individuals signed up to speak during the meeting’s public comment period.
Because of the high level of interest, the commission conducted the session online to allow more people to participate.
Scharf said the agency intends to ensure everyone who wants to comment has an opportunity.
“They are taking time out of what I presume are busy schedules to join us,” Scharf said during the meeting. “One way or the other, we are going to make sure that members of the public have the opportunity to be heard on this project.”
Details Of The Ballroom Plan
The proposal calls for building a 90,000-square-foot ballroom on the White House grounds.
The structure would replace the East Wing, which was demolished in October as part of the redevelopment effort.
Trump has said the ballroom would cost about $400 million and would be financed through private funding rather than taxpayer money.
Supporters of the project argue that the White House has long lacked a large formal event space capable of hosting major state events.
Approval From Fine Arts Commission
Another federal design oversight body, the United States Commission of Fine Arts, approved the ballroom plan last month after reviewing the architectural design.
That approval allowed the project to move forward to the planning commission stage.
Legal Challenge From Preservation Group
The proposal has drawn criticism from some preservation advocates.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation filed a lawsuit seeking to halt construction until the project receives additional reviews and congressional approval.
The group argued that demolition of the East Wing should not have taken place before federal oversight bodies had completed their evaluations.
Last week, however, Richard Leon rejected the group’s request to temporarily stop construction.
The preservation organization has said it intends to file an amended lawsuit challenging the project.
Next Steps For The Project
The National Capital Planning Commission is expected to gather additional details from White House officials and agency staff before the final vote.
If approved, the project would move closer to becoming one of the largest structural changes to the White House complex in decades.
The commission plans to begin detailed consideration of the project at 1 p.m. ET during its upcoming session.
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