White House Ballroom Plan Is Slated for Final Vote
Source: East Wing magazine
White House Ballroom Plan Is Slated for Final Vote
On Thursday, the National Capital Planning Commission is expected to vote on the president's 90,000-square-foot White House addition; review his plans for a White House visitor screening facility.
Jennifer Taylor
Mar 29, 2026
Construction work continues on President Trump's White House ballroom on the site of the former East Wing of the White House, seen from the Washington Monument on March 8, 2026, in Washington, D.C. The National Capital Planning Commission postponed a vote on final approval of the ballroom after receiving an overwhelming amount of negative public comments. (Photo by Aaron Schwartz/Getty Images)
A Washington, D.C., design review panel, the National Capital Planning Commission, is set to cast a final vote Thursday on President Donald Trump's proposed White House ballroom as part of plans for a new East Wing addition that were submitted in January. ... But what could keep the project from moving forward is an anticipated decision from a Washington, D.C., federal district judge that could halt construction of the ballroom. And, it could come in the remaining days before the end of the month.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation filed a lawsuit in December trying to stop the construction of President Trump's $400 million, 90,000-square-foot ballroom after the East Wing of the White House was demolished in days last October. The National Trust is seeking an injunction by Judge Richard J. Leon, a George W. Bush appointee, and for him to rule that the proposed "East Wing Modernization Project" was out of the president's scope of authority to construct unilaterally. The nonprofit chartered by Congress argues that Trump's actions were illegal when he bypassed approvals for demolition and congressional authorization for the project. An injunction would stop the project while the lawsuit moves forward.
Earlier this month during a court hearing, Leon questioned a lawyer for the Trump administration over what the judge called its shifting rationale for the president's authority, according to Reuters. The judge, noting that the White House grounds are a "special place" and an "iconic symbol" of the nation, reportedly described the administration's argument that the ballroom was an allowable alteration to the White House as a "brazen" interpretation.
But the most consistent feedback on the president's proposal has come from the American public, which has voiced overwhelming objections to the ballroom for its size and design. During the public comment portion of a National Capital Planning Commission earlier this month, more than 35,000 written comments were submitted and 104 people had signed up to speak. The reactions from architects, preservationists, professors, historians, former White House staff and ordinary citizens were predominantly negative and the people urged the commission, mostly filled with members appointed by Mr. Trump, to reject the plan.
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The NCPC meeting is slated for Thursday at 1 p.m. EST and will be livestreamed.
Read more: https://www.eastwingmagazine.com/p/white-house-ballroom-plan-is-slated
Jeepers, I wonder how the vote will turn out. You can watch the meeting here:
https://www.ncpc.gov/review/meeting/