White House Plans Underground Visitor Security Screening Center/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ The White House is proposing an underground security screening center for visitors near Sherman Park. The facility would streamline security checks and reduce wait times for tours and events. Construction could begin in 2026 as part of a broader redesign of the White House grounds.
White House Underground Visitor Center Quick Looks
- New security facility: Proposed underground center for White House visitor screening.
- Location: Planned beneath Sherman Park near the Treasury building.
- Seven screening lanes: Designed to speed up security processing and reduce lines.
- Target completion: The facility could open by July 2028.
- Part of larger overhaul: The project follows demolition of the East Wing for a new ballroom.
- Federal review pending: The National Capital Planning Commission will review the plan in April.
Deep Look: White House Plans Underground Visitor Security Screening Center
The White House is proposing the construction of an underground visitor screening center as part of a broader effort to redesign and modernize the historic grounds during President Donald Trump’s administration.
Preliminary plans released Friday outline a 33,000-square-foot underground facility designed to handle security screening for guests and tourists visiting the White House complex. The proposal will be reviewed by a federal planning commission responsible for approving development projects on government property in Washington.
Location and Design
According to the proposal, the screening center would be built beneath Sherman Park, a small green space located southeast of the White House and directly south of the U.S. Treasury building.
The underground design is intended to improve security while preserving the historic character of the surrounding area. Project renderings included in the proposal show a modern facility hidden below ground level, allowing visitor processing to occur without altering the visual landscape of the park.
One notable feature of the project is that the monument to Union General William Tecumseh Sherman—located in the center of Sherman Park—would remain in place and unaffected by construction.
The plan is being developed collaboratively by the Executive Office of the President, the U.S. Secret Service, and the National Park Service, which manages the White House grounds.
Improving Visitor Security and Efficiency
The proposed facility would include seven screening lanes intended to speed up visitor processing and reduce wait times for White House tours and official events.
For many years, visitors lined up at Sherman Park before passing through a series of temporary security trailers. After clearing those checkpoints, guests would proceed toward the East Wing entrance.
However, those arrangements changed significantly last year when President Trump ordered the demolition of the East Wing to make way for a large new ballroom.
Since then, visitor lines have been relocated to an area near Lafayette Park, across Pennsylvania Avenue from the White House, creating new logistical challenges for security staff and visitors.
Officials say the underground screening facility would provide a more permanent and efficient solution.
Timeline for Construction
According to the planning documents, construction could begin as early as August if federal approvals are granted.
The White House hopes the center will be operational by July 2028—roughly six months before the end of Trump’s current presidential term.
Federal Review Process
The proposal will first be reviewed by the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC), a federal body that oversees development and construction projects on federal land in the Washington, D.C., region.
Commission members are expected to discuss the proposal during a meeting scheduled for April 2.
In addition to the visitor screening center, the commission will also consider a separate proposal tied to the White House redesign: the construction of a large new building where the East Wing previously stood.
Ballroom Proposal Also Under Consideration
That project would include a roughly 90,000-square-foot structure featuring a major ballroom space designed for large gatherings and official events.
The ballroom plan has drawn attention because of its scale and its impact on the historic White House complex.
Together, the two proposals signal a major transformation of how visitors experience the White House and how the executive mansion manages security and official functions.
If approved, the underground visitor screening center would represent one of the most significant infrastructure upgrades to the White House grounds in decades, combining enhanced security with an effort to preserve the iconic appearance of the presidential residence.
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