WASHINGTON — The White House said Thursday that it was not feasible to save the East Wing because of structural issues, past decay and other major concerns as officials shared details of President Donald Trump’s planned ballroom at a public meeting of the commission charged with approving it.
Josh Fisher, director of the White House Office of Administration, said an unstable colonnade, water leakage, mold contamination and other problems made it more economical to tear down the East Wing to make room for the $400 million ballroom than to renovate it.
“Because of this and other factors, the cost analysis proved that demolition and reconstruction provided the lowest total cost ownership and most effective long-term strategy,” Fisher told members of the National Capital Planning Commission.
It was the most comprehensive explanation to date for the dramatic demolition of the East Wing, which caused a public stir when it began in October with little advance notice.
The commission’s chairman, Will Scharf, who is also a top White House official, said he thought the project would ultimately be approved.
The project’s architect, Shalom Baranes, joined Fisher to provide a high-level view of the proposal to the commission. Baranes showed the panel renderings of the ballroom and views of the White House complex from the north and south with the addition.
Baranes said the design could include adding a second story to the West Wing colonnade to help make the White House more uniform with the new ballroom on the east side. But such a step would also dramatically alter the iconic space outside the Oval Office.
Fisher and Baranes said the project includes more than just a ballroom, and will also streamline visitor access to the White House and make unspecified improvements to Lafayette Park across the street.
Some of the 12 commissioners raised concerns, most vocally Democrat Phil Mendelson, who asked several questions about the ballroom’s size and location and whether those might change going forward. Baranes said “anything’s possible,” but added that the plans had been thoroughly studied.
Mendelson, who is also chairman of the D.C. Council, asked if the planned ceiling height of 38 to 40 feet could still be lowered before the final structure is finished and received assurances that the number wasn’t fully set. “It still seems to me it’s overwhelming the existing building,” Mendelson said.
Baranes said the idea would be to build the ballroom’s height to ensure it matches the rest of the White House. “The heights will match exactly,” he said.
Scharf listened to those and other questions Mendelson raised. Upon completion, however, the ballroom is expected to be larger than the rest of the existing White House.
Mendelson also asked why the project hadn’t been presented in its entirety to the commission before the East Wing was demolished. Fisher said some aspects of the ballroom construction were of a “top secret nature” and needed to be dealt with.
Scharf repeated his past assertions that the planning commission doesn’t usually have jurisdiction over site work and demolition on any project, including at the White House.
After the meeting, he expressed confidence that the project will receive the go-ahead.
“I certainly, based on the presentation today, I fully expect that the commission will … approve this project,” Scharf told reporters. “I think you just saw a very positive response to these preliminary drawings.” He acknowledged Mendelson’s concerns and suggested they would be addressed.
Only commissioners were allowed to ask questions and offer feedback at the meeting. A more formal review, including public testimony and votes, is expected after the White House submits a more detailed proposal. The panel’s next meeting is Feb. 5.
Before the meeting adjourned, Scharf argued that the White House needed a larger, more elegant space for major functions. He recalled visiting Windsor Castle last year with Trump and said, that when the president likely hosts King Charles III of Great Britain, “more likely than not, he will be hosted in a tent on the South Lawn with porta-potties.”
Scharf also said after the meeting that the commission is interested in more than whether the ballroom is a good idea. He said their concerns extend to how it affects the White House visitor experience and how the building fits in with others in the area and across the city.
Plans only recently offered
The White House in December submitted its ballroom plans to the commission, which is one of two federal panels that review construction on federal land — usually before ground is broken. The National Trust for Historic Preservation has sued to halt construction of the ballroom, accusing the Trump administration of violating federal laws by proceeding before submitting the project for the independent reviews, congressional approval and public comment.
Carol Quillen, president and CEO of the Trust, said in a statement afterward that the White House presentation was a “good and necessary first step.” She urged the administration to comply with all legally required review and approval processes before starting construction.
A summary on the commission’s website said the purpose of the “East Wing Modernization Project” is to “establish a permanent, secure event space within the White House grounds” that provides increased capacity for official state functions, eliminates reliance on temporary tents and support facilities, and “protects the historic integrity and cultural landscape of the White House and its grounds.”
A comprehensive design plan for the White House prepared in 2000 identified the “need for expanded event space to address growing visitor demand and provide a venue suitable for significant events,” the summary said. It added that successive administrations had “recognized this need as an ongoing priority.”
Ballroom’s size and scope has grown
Trump, a Republican serving his second term, has been talking about building a White House ballroom for years. Last July, the White House announced a 90,000-square-foot (8,400-square-meter) space would be built on the east side of the complex to accommodate 650 seated guests at a then-estimated cost of $200 million. Trump has said it will be paid for with private donations, including from him.
He later upped the ballroom’s capacity to 999 people and, by October, had demolished the East Wing. In December, he updated the price tag to $400 million — double the original estimate.
The White House had announced few other details about the project but has said it would be completed before Trump’s term ends in January 2029.
