The administration of US President Donald Trump seeks to quickly complete the federal review process for the planned White House ballroom, with final approval as early as March, potentially paving the way for construction to begin a month later, CBS News reports, writes UNN.
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President Trump has sought to move quickly with the ballroom project, which is the most ambitious — and most controversial — part of his efforts to transform the White House complex to fit his aesthetic vision, the publication writes. But the donor-funded, $400 million project still needs approval from two boards that oversee federal construction in Washington: the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) and the Commission of Fine Arts (CFA).
Administration officials met with the two boards and presented blueprints on December 19, and officially submitted applications three days later, a White House official told CBS News.
The administration aims to hold a public informational meeting before the NCPC next week, January 8, and a meeting before the CFA a week later. According to the official, final presentations for the CFA and NCPC are scheduled for February 19 and March 5, respectively.
The U.S. National Park Service (NPS) stated last month in a court document that above-ground construction is "not expected until April 2026, at the earliest." According to the NPS estimate filed in court last month, construction is to be completed in the summer of 2028, less than a year before Trump leaves office.
The dates for the NCPC and CFA meetings may change slightly. But the administration's timeline for ballroom construction is extremely tight by federal government standards, which often take months or years to get approval for much smaller projects, the publication writes.
The NCPC is chaired by White House aide William Scharf, and two other Trump appointees are currently on the commission. Trump fired all six incumbent CFA members in October and is expected to appoint a number of new ones soon.
Plans for the ballroom have been developed at a rapid pace. The White House first announced the project in July. By October, construction crews had demolished the entire East Wing of the building, although Trump had said months earlier that the existing structure would be left intact.
At a mid-October dinner for private donors who contributed to the ballroom's construction, Trump was impressed by how quickly he had been able to get the project started.
"They said, 'Sir, you can start tonight,'" the president told guests, recounting conversations with staff about the ballroom. "You have no zoning conditions. You are the president."
This approach drew criticism from Democrats in the U.S. Congress and preservation organizations, who argued that the administration failed to properly engage with the public before beginning the demolition of part of the White House complex. The White House argued that NCPC approval was only needed for vertical construction, not demolition.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation filed a lawsuit late last year over the project, seeking a temporary halt to construction until the government obtains the necessary permits. The organization criticized the administration for demolishing the East Wing without reviewing documents and argued that the size of the ballroom would "overwhelm the White House itself."
Last month, a judge refused to completely halt construction, but said the administration must involve the NCPC by the end of 2025. Further hearings on the foundation's request for a preliminary injunction are scheduled for later this month. The judge informed the government that if it begins any underground construction that "determines the size or scope of the proposed ballroom" before she can issue a ruling, the government "must be prepared to demolish it."
At a White House event shortly after the decision, Trump celebrated the judge's ruling and said, "We didn't want to be delayed."
"Who else but the people of our country would sue to stop the construction of a magnificent $400 million ballroom that has been wanted in the White House for so long?" the US president said.
Trump says new White House ballroom could cost $400 million17.12.25, 14:18 • [views_56693]