President Trump’s sabotage A proposal to make room for a $300 million ballroom in the White House’s East Wing has raised questions about who has the authority to approve the work.
Demolition crews and an excavator have been seen since Monday tearing down Part of a historic building. White House officials have said that the 90,000-sq.-ft. privately funded The ballroom will be completed before the end of President Trump’s second term in 2029.
An administration official told The Hill on Thursday that for any improvements and changes to the Executive Mansion, the White House would have to submit construction plans to the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC).
But while the NCPC has jurisdiction over building construction and renovation, it “does not require a permit for demolition, only a permit for vertical construction,” the official said.
According to the official, “The construction plans have not yet been submitted to the NCPC, but they will in due course.”
Although the commission is closed due to the government shutdown, a letter from the National Trust for Historic Preservation (NTHP) sheds more light on what role the NCPC plays when it comes to making changes to the White House.
LetterThe letter, sent Tuesday and written by President and CEO Dr. Carol Quillen to NCPC leadership, called on the Trump administration and the National Park Service (NPS) to halt the demolition.
The White House is a national park and the property, including President’s Park, is owned by the National Park Service, according to its website. According to him, Trump met with members of the White House staff, the White House Military Office, and the Secret Service “to discuss design features and planning” in the ballroom.A statement from July,
Hill contacted the National Park Service for comment.
Quillen also asked the administration to “undergo legally required public review processes, including consultation and review by the National Capital Planning Commission and the Commission of Fine Arts, and invite comment from the public.”
They wrote, “These processes provide an important opportunity for transparency and broad engagement – values that have guided the preservation of the White House under every administration since the public competition in 1792 that produced the building’s original design.”
Hill contacted the Commission of Fine Arts for comment. The latter’s website states that it is closed due to the government shutdown.
Former NCPC President L. Preston Bryant Jr. toldcnnThere is a three-stage process for federal projects that begins with “collaborative” consultation, followed by conceptual approval, preliminary approval, and final approval.
“If demolition is going to happen, it’s part of the project,” said Bryant, who served on the commission from 2009-18, according to LinkedIn. “The demolition element is embedded in the overall project. The demo is not separated from the construction. It is part of it.”
Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act requires federal agencies to identify and assess the effects of its actions on historic buildings.
According to the U.S. General Services Administration, “Under Section 106, each Federal agency must consider the public’s views and concerns about historic preservation issues when making final project decisions.”website,
However, Section 107 exempts the White House, the Capitol Building, and the Supreme Court buildings and grounds from complying with the previous section.
Last month, Trump-appointed commission Chairman Will Scharf said the ballroom project does not need the panel’s approval to begin construction,The Associated Press reported,
“I think this is one of the most exciting construction projects in the modern history of the district, and I think any claim that this commission should have been consulted on or should have been done earlier is absolutely false and represents a misunderstanding of the role of this commission in that project,” Scharf said.politicoInformed.
According to a White House official, several components of the East Wingwere transferredWithin the premises. The Office of the First Lady and the Office of the Social Secretary were moved within the White House, while the Military Office, the Office of Graphics and Calligraphy, and the Visitor’s Office, along with the Office of Legislative Affairs, were moved into the Eisenhower Executive Office Building.
The Trump administration has defended the demolition and construction plans for the ballroom, which it has called “a bold, necessary expansion” to the White House.statement Released on Tuesday.
The statement also listed Series of alterations, demolitions and additions In the White House since the administration of President Theodore Roosevelt in 1902, when the West Wing was constructed. It mentioned the “East Terrace” built at that time which “eventually became the East Wing.”
“Now, in 2025, President Trump is carrying on that legacy, debuting a Grand Ballroom – a transformational addition that will significantly enhance the White House’s ability to host major ceremonies honoring world leaders, foreign countries and other dignitaries,” the statement said.
But enthusiasm about ballroom is not widespread among the public. on wednesday aYouGov America Pollhe got it53 percent of Americans somewhat or strongly disagree with the demolition of the East Wing.Fifty percent rejected the plan to build a ballroom.
