Administration to show revised plans for Trump’s 90,000-square-foot ballroom

The Trump administration expects to present updated plans for the president’s new 90,000-square-foot ballroom to the National Capital Planning Commission on Thursday, a senior administration official said, and the meeting is expected to be live-streamed. The presentation would make the revised plans public for the first time.

Officials previously submitted applications on Dec. 22 to both the National Capital Planning Commission and the Commission of Fine Arts that included plans and drawings already posted on the White House’s website. President Trump surprised many in October when he demolished the East Wing to make way for the ballroom and has pushed to more than double the initial size.

Mr. Trump has told people working on the project that he does not need to follow permitting, zoning or code requirements because the structure is on White House grounds and he has the final say. The National Trust for Historic Preservation filed a federal lawsuit seeking to block the construction, arguing the administration bypassed required reviews and violated at least four laws.

A federal judge has allowed the project to proceed after the administration pledged to undergo review; the Justice Department told the court the demolition cannot be undone but the administration will submit to a review process going forward.

Key Topics

Politics, Donald Trump, White House, East Wing, President Trump, National Trust