White House defends demolition of $400 million East Wing of Trump’s ballroom

The White House said Thursday it was not possible to save the East Wing due to serious structural problems, as officials defended its demolition while releasing details of the president’s decision. that of Donald Trump ballroom planned for $400 million.

Josh Fisher, director of the White House Administration Office, cited an unstable colonnade, water leaks and mold contamination, saying it was more economical to demolish the historic East Wing rather than renovate it.

“Due to this and other factors, cost analysis proved that demolition and reconstruction provided the lowest total cost of ownership and most effective long-term strategy,” Fisher said during a meeting with the National Capital Planning Commission, which was tasked with approving the project.

Commission Chairman Will Scharf, who is also a White House An official told reporters he believed the project would ultimately be approved.

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Scharf argued at the meeting that the White House needed a large, elegant space for major functions. He added that when the president hosted distinguished guests like Britain’s King Charles III, “it would be more likely than not that he would be housed in a tent on the South Lawn with a portable toilet.”

In December, the National Trust for Historic Preservation sued to stop construction from the ballroom, accusing the Trump administration of ignoring mandatory reviews and failing to obtain congressional approval before demolishing the East Wing.

Carol Quillen, president and CEO of the Trust, said Thursday’s presentation by the White House was a “good and necessary first step” while urging the administration to comply with all legally required review and approval processes before beginning construction.

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A more formal review of the project, including public testimony and votes, is expected after the White House submits a more detailed proposal.

The project architect, Shalom Baranes, who was operated by Trump in December to lead the next phase of the ballroom project, gave the commission a detailed presentation, including renderings of the ballroom and views of the White House complex with the addition.

Baranes suggested that the design could include adding a second story to the West Wing colonnade to help make the White House more uniform with the new ballroom on the east side, but he cautioned that this would have a considerable impact on the space outside the Oval Office.

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In addition to the planned ballroom, officials say the project will also streamline visitor access to the White House and involve improvements across the street at Lafayette Park.

Phil Mendelson, a Democratic commission member and president of the Washington, D.C. Council, questioned whether the size and location of the ballroom were solidified, saying the planned ceiling height of 38 to 40 feet would be “overwhelming” for the existing building.

Baranes responded that “anything is possible,” but noted that the plans had already been thoroughly reviewed.

Mendelson also questioned why the idea was not presented to the commission before the East Wing was demolished in October.

In response, Fisher said that certain aspects of the project were “top secret in nature” and should be treated accordingly.

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The White House announced in July that a 90,000-square-foot space would be built at a cost then estimated at $200 million. Trump said the project was privately funded.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.