More economical to demolish East Wing for White House ballroom project, White House says

White House officials said it was more economical to demolish the East Wing of President Donald Trump’s new ballroom than to renovate it, citing structural problems.

Josh Fisher, director of the White House Office of Administration, told a planning commission that the wing had “significant deficiencies and overall poor structural design and construction.”

The East Wing was demolished in October to make way for President Donald Trump’s multimillion-dollar ballroom, which he says is funded by private donors.

The ballroom is now expected to cost $400 million (£298 million), double the original estimate.

White House officials told members of the National Capital Planning Commission (NPCC) on Thursday that the East Wing had “chronic water intrusion, accelerated deterioration and mold contamination.”

“Due to this and other factors, cost analysis proved that demolition and reconstruction offered the lowest total cost of ownership and most effective long-term strategy,” Fisher said.

District of Columbia Council Chairman Democrat Phil Mendelson, who sits on the commission, questioned why the project was not presented to the commission in its entirety before demolition of the East Wing began.

Fisher said some things about the construction of the ballroom were “top secret in nature.”

William Scharf, the commission chairman appointed by Trump in July, said the commission generally does not have jurisdiction over site work and demolition of any project, including those at the White House.

Although the White House and its adjacent parks are administered by the National Park Service (NPS), the president generally has broad powers to make renovations.

The White House ballroom project is also expected to add a second floor to the West Wing, which houses staff offices.

Ballroom architect Shalom Baranes said the addition would help make the building more uniform, with the new ballroom being built on the other side of the White House.

He said the ballroom would span 22,000 square feet and could accommodate 1,000 seated guests at a formal dinner. There would also be two lobbies, a commercial kitchen, an office for the first lady and a movie theater, he added.

When completed, the ballroom is expected to be larger than the rest of the existing White House.

According to US media reports, the former architect clashed with Trump over the size of the ballroom, fearing it would dwarf the rest of the White House.

The total area of ​​the new east wing, including two floors and the ballroom, would be just over 89,000 square feet (8,268 square meters), Baranes said. It will feature a two-story colonnade that will connect the White House East Room to the new ballroom.

The house where the president lives and entertains is 55,000 square feet while the West Wing, which includes the Oval Office and other work spaces, is 40,000 square feet, according to the White House Historical Association.

A nonprofit organization charged by the U.S. Congress with helping preserve historic sites — the National Trust for Historic Preservation — sued the White House in December to stop construction of the ballroom.

The trust argues that the White House failed to request necessary reviews before demolishing the historic East Wing in October and should have filed plans with the commission before beginning construction.

The White House said the project would be completed before Trump’s term ends in January 2029.