Trump’s Unveiled Ballroom Plans Reveal Bigger, Taller White House Addition

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump’s ambitious vision for an East Wing modernization and state ballroom addition to the White House underwent its first test of public scrutiny Thursday, as designers presented the project before the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) for approval to start construction as early as April.

White House Office of Administration Director Joshua Fisher kicked off the presentation, providing an overview of the analysis of alternatives, critical needs, and impacts associated with the site and logistics of White House operations.

“The cost analysis proved that demolition and reconstruction provided the lowest total cost ownership and most effective long-term strategy,” Fisher told the NCPC, citing structural instability in addition to water and mold infiltration.

The current lead architect, Shalom Baranes, now 60 days after joining the project but no stranger to the NCPC review process, then detailed a number of specifics previously unknown to the public.

The above-grade, two-stories of new construction will encompass roughly 89,000 square feet on the White House grounds; the ballroom itself, designed to hold 1,000 people, is roughly 22,000 square feet. The current design will also restore the demolished movie theater and offices for the first lady’s staff, and add dedicated food service, delivery, and utility areas.

Other features Baranes mentioned include a new visitors entry complex, a grand staircase which will descend into a foyer, and a decorative ledge joining walls to ceilings or roofs — 60 feet high on the property’s north side and 70 feet high on its south side — to “match exactly” the present height of the Executive Residence. That cornice, made of stone and precast concrete, will “all be painted white to match the White House — very similar finish.” Notably, the design leaves room for a future, unplanned one-story addition to the West Wing colonnade to balance its future East Wing counterpart.

Commissioner Phil Mendelson, the chairman of the Council of the District of Columbia, raised questions related to the finality of the design, the risk of the new addition overwhelming the existing White House structure, and the overall “segmented” and “piecemeal” nature of the proposed development, rather than a more measured, cohesive plan.

“It’s just so imbalanced,” he remarked.

NCPC Commissioner Phil Mendelson addresses White House Office of Administration Director Joshua Fisher. [Screenshot/NCPC.gov]

Baranes responded to Mendelson’s concerns, noting it would be “possible, not impossible” to lessen the height of the ballroom, it was just a matter of time and money.

“Anything’s possible,” he admitted.

Commissioner Arrington Dixon, another appointee of D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, raised safety concerns related to the placement of handicapped entrances and egress, which Baranes noted was under consideration.

Other commissioners on the body which likely leans towards supporting the president’s plans referenced “concerns about size and scale,” but expressed expectation of evaluating more detailed plans when the review enters a more formal phase.

The meeting, which was also livestreamed, was not filled to capacity as had been anticipated, and the conduct of the attending public was calm with no disruptions. A notable security presence also ensured order.

Lead architect Shalom Baranes presents the proposed White House ballroom at a Jan. 8. NCPC meeting. [Photo by The Daily Caller News Foundation]

Asked by a reporter after the hearing if he was “expecting more fireworks” NCPC Chairman William Scharf noted interested parties would have ample opportunity for public comment as the formal review process gets underway. Scharf, in his opening remarks, had acknowledged “passionate comments on both sides.”

“Our concern is not so much about whether a ballroom is a good idea or not — I obviously believe that it is,” Scharf told reporters. “Our concerns are how will that impact the public viewing experience, the visitor experience; how will this new building interact with the other existing buildings in the area and more broadly in the city.”

“I think the end result is going to be of huge benefit to the entire White House complex and to the country,” he added.

NCPC Chairman William Scharf addresses reporters following a Jan. 8 NCPC meeting. [Photo by The Daily Caller News Foundation]

The White House initially characterized the project’s purpose as necessary 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, temporary support facilities, and associated infrastructure strains, and protects the historic integrity and cultural landscape of the White House and its grounds while maintaining a high-quality visitor experience, consistent with essential functional requirements of the Executive Residence at the White House.”

Despite the information presentation being merely the first step of the federal agency’s review of the privately funded $400 million project — lacking formal project materials, public testimony, or a vote to consider — significant public interest was evident given the historic, legal, political, and financial implications of the renovation.

Activists mobilized a “Stop Construction! Stop Corruption!” protest Thursday ahead of the hearing, citing concerns of conflicts of interest and pay-to-play government contracts by corporate and wealthy donors to Trump’s “vanity project.”

Activists protest ahead of a Jan. 8 general presentation of the planned White House state ballroom project to the National Capital Planning Commission in Washington. [Photo by The Daily Caller News Foundation]

The White House ballroom project was formally announced July 31, 2025, with the selection of McCrery Architects, AECOM, and Clark Construction to manage the design, engineering, and construction, respectively. The president later confirmed Dec. 5 that Shalom Baranes Associates would replace McCrery, who reportedly had concerns over the ballooning design, as the lead designer. The biggest surprise by far, however, was the pace of the initial Oct. 20-23 demolition of the Jefferson-era East Wing. The unannounced action drew a myriad of reactions, including shock and dismay by some outside observers, particularly those expressing interest in historic preservation.

BREAKING: We’re getting an expansion!

Beginning in September, construction will begin on a brand-new 90,000 square ft ballroom that will be enjoyed for generations to come. ✨

Visit https://t.co/fYztfJspLP for more information pic.twitter.com/SVvlaDpRmA

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) July 31, 2025

Legal challenges and inquiries by critics subsequently accused the administration of skirting federal preservation law and shutting out scrutiny by agencies authorized by law to evaluate projects for compatibility with development historically characteristic of the capital area. The White House, in turn, sought court permission to submit specifics under seal and off the record to limit public scrutiny, citing national security concerns.

The rapidly changing & secretive terms of Trump’s demolition of the East wing & ballroom raise serious questions. I’m pressing the lead architect, construction firm, & engineering firm for answers about whether the demo project was competitively bid & the projected costs. pic.twitter.com/OpP6QgvAzh

— Richard Blumenthal (@SenBlumenthal) October 29, 2025

The National Trust for Historic Preservation, a leading preservation advocacy group, argued in court filings Dec. 31 the Trump administration avoided taking “meaningful steps” to secure public buy in and NCPC approval.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation (@SavingPlaces) is run by a bunch of loser Democrats and liberal donors who are playing political games. https://t.co/IoX0wupbnb pic.twitter.com/VfZG0nSFfd

— Steven Cheung (@StevenCheung47) October 22, 2025

“They have, repeatedly, broken the rules first and asked for permission later,” the lawsuit reads, The Washington Post reported.

This morning, we filed a suit in federal court to pause construction of the proposed White House ballroom and halt work immediately.

We are calling on the Administration to follow all legally required review of changes to the People’s House.https://t.co/23Gk726xA5 pic.twitter.com/SX5qm4Oh6B

— Saving Places (@SavingPlaces) December 12, 2025

Most recently, the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization, a public health group, filed a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit Wednesday seeking records on protections against hazardous asbestos possibly released during the demolition phase.

U.S. District Judge Richard Leon, an appointee of President George W. Bush, issued a Dec. 17 order for the White House to initiate “the consultation processes” relevant to the ballroom project with both NCPC and the Commission of Fine Arts (CFA) by the end of December. Trump had previously expressed the belief the White House was exempt from the outside review processes.

“They said, ‘Sir, this is the White House. You’re the president of the United States, you can do anything you want,’” Trump, citing expert advice, told project donors during an October dinner event.

An Aug. 18, 2025 report by the National Park Service (NPS) released in December indicates some plans to abide by historic preservation practices, proposing digital scanning and high-resolution photography of exterior and interior spaces, salvaging and storing existing materials, and to “remove all collections, artifacts, and paintings” from the East Wing and ground floor of the White House, as well as “relocate approximately four trees or bushes near the East Wing, including one commemorative tree (planted in 2023).”

Environmental assessments also compiled that month likewise noted the ballroom project would “reduce reliance on temporary event infrastructure, limit wear on the grounds, and provide functional benefits for large gatherings … but the White House and its grounds would continue to retain the core characteristics that convey its national significance, and thus its designation as a National Historic Landmark.” Construction activities and equipment, however, would “disrupt the site’s visual integrity and historic character from certain viewpoints.”

A lot of FAKE OUTRAGE over construction of the big, beautiful (and privately funded) White House Ballroom.

FACT: Presidents have been renovating and expanding the White House for more than 100 years.

In 1902, President Theodore Roosevelt built the West Wing .

In 1909,… pic.twitter.com/p7opxjsNAm

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) October 20, 2025

An aggressive nine-week timeline to secure required approvals was proposed Dec. 31 by the White House, despite large, complex federal projects typically undergoing longer design review periods by the oversight bodies having jurisdiction. Applications to the NCPC and the CFA were formally submitted Dec. 22, with White House officials having sought consultations from their respective staffs three days earlier, The Washington Post reported.

The project at the oldest public building in Washington represents a unique implementation of the ruthless agenda advanced by the president since his return to power, stretching back to his roots as a real estate developer in New York City. Trump maintains personal interest and involvement in the legacy project, even shopping for materials hours before ordering the early Saturday military-backed law enforcement operation to apprehend Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro.

Trump goes shopping for marble and onyx for White House ballroom https://t.co/czI5TPFoNv pic.twitter.com/hLMBpTutXd

— New York Post (@nypost) January 2, 2026

Overcoming the bureaucratic realities of Washington, however, still requires the president to flex his political muscle. Three members of the NCPC appointed by former President Joe Biden were fired in July before the end of their six-year terms to make way for Trump’s nominees to the Commission. Scharf, the White House staff secretary and formerly a personal lawyer for Trump before being appointed the new chairman of NCPC, was installed that month along with Deputy Chief of Staff James Blair and Stuart Levenbach, the Associate Director for Natural Resources, Energy, Science, and Water in the Office of Management and Budget.

Reflecting on the divide between the responsibilities of his dual jobs, Scharf told the Daily Caller News Foundation, “Yeah, it’s kinda infuriating because I know there’s been planning on this ballroom going on for a very long time— those are meetings I’d normally be in but I haven’t been able to be in any of them. The first time I’d seen Shalom in person was today, the first time I’d seen any of these renderings was today. So yeah, I think one of the rewards for doing good work is getting more work and when the president asked me if I wanted to chair this Commission, it was something I was really excited about, long before we knew that the ballroom and all that would be coming through here.”

The NCPC is a 12-person panel established by Congress in 1924 consisting of three presidential appointees, two appointees of the mayor of the District of Columbia, and seven ex officio members, who are typically represented in meetings by alternates: the secretaries of Defense and Interior, the administrator of General Services, the two chairpersons of the House and Senate committees with oversight responsibilities of D.C., Washington’s mayor, and the chairperson of the D.C. Council.

The NCPC previously reviewed projects involving White House fencing and associated security improvements in 2016 and 2017, as well as a tennis pavilion constructed to replace an existing facility in 2019. The president and first lady Melania Trump also oversaw renovations to the Rose Garden, improving drainage and natural lighting in 2020 and installing a patio as a “hardscape upgrade” in 2025.

The commission anticipates proceeding to formal review of the ballroom project, aimed to be constructed and ready for use months before Trump concludes his second term in office, in February. The CFA will begin its separate review process at its Jan. 15 meeting.