Donald Trump announces massive $200 million expansion to White House

The White House is reconstructing the East Wing to feature a large ballroom.

In a press release issued Thursday, July 31, the White House announced the “much-needed and exquisite addition” of the White House Ballroom, which is slated to be 90,000 square feet and capable of hosting 650 people at a time.

The new ballroom will replace the East Room — which can only accommodate about 200 people — as the preferred hosting space, shifting events away from the main section of the White House.

The White House said in its press release that in the absence of a proper ballroom, the hosting staff has often been forced to install a “large and unsightly tent” outside for overflow guests.

“The White House Ballroom will be substantially separated from the main building of the White House, but at the same time, its theme and architectural heritage will be almost identical,” the release stated. “The site of the new ballroom will be where the small, heavily changed, and reconstructed East Wing currently sits.”

The East Wing has historically been used as an office space for the first lady and her staff, who will be temporarily relocated while construction is underway. In a press conference on Thursday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said that the new structure will not entirely replace the East Wing, but rather “modernize” it.

The construction is expected to cost $200 million, funded by President Donald Trump and other private donors, and is slated to begin in September. The House did not provide a completion date for the project but assured that the ballroom will open “long before the end of President Trump’s term.”

The ballroom construction plans show a massive addition where the East Wing is currently positioned and roughly mirrors the architectural style the rest of the House campus exhibits.

A rendering of the ballroom’s design anticipates a sprawling great room and elaborate gold details. As depicted, the ballroom is set to include gold chandeliers, an ornate coffered ceiling, Greek Corinthian columns and tall, arched windows to each wall. The plans also include room for a number of round tables and gold chairs.

Updates about the project’s construction will be posted to the White House’s “visit” page, the release stated. The construction will be facilitated by McCrery Architects, with its CEO Jim McCrery calling the project a “beautiful and necessary renovation to The People’s House.”

The announcement of the ballroom comes amid other construction on the White House grounds, as the Trumps oversee the controversial removal of the Rose Garden lawn, which was installed under President John F. Kennedy.

According to recent photos, the Rose Garden’s lawn has been converted to a concrete patio area, after the president previously complained that the grass could cause women’s heels to sink into the dirt.

When the Rose Garden renovations began in early June, a White House official described the new construction as a “restoration” and told PEOPLE that the Trumps “have deep respect for the history of the White House and for the Rose Garden.”

“This restoration to the Rose Garden preserves the beauty of the space and builds on the work done in 2020,” the official said, “with a focus on enhancing practical use and guest experience for those attending special events.”

Source: People.com

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