Plans for President Donald Trump’s long-envisioned White House ballroom continue to evolve. During meetings this week, an architect working on the project revealed that the new addition will be as tall as the White House is now.
According to The Washington Post, this is “a significant change of plans that breaks with long-standing architectural norms requiring additions to be shorter than the main building.”
Trump has had his eye on building a ballroom for the White House since before his first term, and even offered to build one when former President Barack Obama was in office. Work on the project finally began last fall, when the East Wing of the historic structure was demolished to make way for the new addition.
Previously, Trump has pointed out that the East Wing is too small to hold some of the events held at the White House, and he’s complained about such events being held outside in less-than-ideal weather. Last month, the Trump administration Department of Justice also argued that the new ballroom was a matter of national security.
“The equities patently favor permitting current below-grade work to continue, given the security concerns inherent in leaving the East Wing foundation area unfinished,” said a court filing from the department.
While cost estimates for the ballroom project were once at $250 million, the Post said this week that that price has ballooned to $400 million. Josh Fisher, director of the White House Office of Administration, has also said that “significant deficiencies and overall poor structural design and construction,” of the existing structure were discovered through the demolition and construction work done thus far, CBS News reported.
Recent plans presented by architect Shalom Baranes to the National Capitol Planning Committee clarified the structure is expected to be two floors and 90,000 square feet, set back 10.5 feet from the main White House façade on Pennsylvania Avenue, painted white to match the existing structure, according to Axios. That includes plans for downstairs area with a commercial kitchen, an office area for the First Lady and a rebuilt movie theater as well as a 22,000-square-foot ballroom upstairs with room for 1,000 seated guests.
“The lower level will also have an entrance and a grand staircase visitors can use to access the ballroom,” said Axios. It also said Baranes’ presentation was the first part of the project’s review process.
Going forward, the project could also include a second-story addition to the existing West Wing colonnade so the two wings are symmetrical, the outlet added.
Last year, poll results showed that people from both sides of the political aisle were wary of knocking down the historic East Wing of the White House. The National Trust for Historic Preservation also filed a suit against the Trump administration alleging that the ballroom construction is unlawful, but they were not granted a temporary restraining order against the project in October.
“Many locals and historic preservationists were horrified when the East Wing was demolished last year without many of the traditional greenlights – which Trump’s administration has said it didn’t need,” Axios said this week. Furthermore, it said the planning commission is now “stacked with Trump loyalists.”
Still, Axios noted that D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson, who sits on the commission, told Baranes he was worried the addition could be “overwhelming.” Baranes said that his team was aiming for a result that meets “a thoughtful middle ground” and maintains “the visual primacy of the White House.”