Trump says White House ballroom plan approved by arts committee, though concerns remain over approval
President Trump announced the White House ballroom construction plan was unanimously approved by the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts.Summary
On the 19th, President Trump announced via his social media platform that the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts unanimously approved the construction plan for the White House ballroom, estimated to cost $400 million, marking a step closer to full approval for the large-scale project. He stated the plan received high praise for the building's beauty and scale. Additionally, the National Capital Planning Commission is scheduled to consider the preliminary and final site and building plans for the 90,000-square-foot expansion of the White House East Wing on March 5th. Both the Commission of Fine Arts and the NCPC oversee major projects in the D.C. area; however, Trump had dismissed all six members of the Fine Arts Commission last year, and the chair of the NCPC is his former personal attorney. Furthermore, a federal court is scrutinizing the project, with one judge recently expressing skepticism about the administration's authority to proceed with construction if existing structures were demolished without Congressional approval.
(Source：Reuters)