The White House unveiled plans for a new ballroom to be built on the East Wing, a project long desired by Donald Trump.
Trump and other donors will fund the $200 million structure, according to White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt. She said Thursday that construction will start in September and be competed well before the end of Trump’s term.
The ballroom stands to be one of the most significant changes to the public rooms in the White House complex since the late 1940s, when the Executive Mansion was gutted as part of a renovation to reinforce the original structure.
Concerts, state dinners and other entertainment events have been held in the East Room or in an outdoor tent. The new ballroom will have a capacity of 650 people, compared to 200 in the East Room. The White House said the space will be “a much-needed and exquisite addition of approximately 90,000 total square feet of innately designed and carefully crafted space.” It was unclear how the square footage was counted, as the East Room is just about 2,800 square feet.
McCrery Architects will be the lead architect of the White House project. In a statement, McCrery said that they have sought to preserve the “elegance of its classical design and historical importance.” Photos of the planned project show a large space with arched windows, and heavily in gold ornamentation. That has been one of Trump’s preferences, as he has added that design to parts of the Oval Office.
A schematic view of the new ballroom from the South Lawn of the White House.
White House
The East Wing, constructed in 1902, with a second story added in 1942, houses the offices of the First Lady, which will be relocated during construction.
This will be the latest change that Trump will make to the White House complex. The grassy area next to the Rose Garden has been paved over, with space for outdoor entertaining of guests. Trump also installed two large flagpoles on the north and south ends of the complex.
When he was a private citizen, Trump had proposed building a ballroom to Obama administration officials, but they did not take him up on his offer.
In planning for the overhaul, the White House said that Trump met with White House staff, the National Park Service, the White House Military Office and the United States Secret Service.
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