Images of excavators demolishing the east wing from the White House this week as part of President Donald Trump building plan a 90,000-square-foot ballroom has raised alarm among critics because it contradicts administration assurances that the addition would be built on top of, not in place of, the existing structure.
“Mr. Trump originally said in July that construction of his ballroom, costing more than $200 million, ‘will not interfere with the existing building.'” the New York Times reported on Monday
“It will be close but not touching,” CNBC reported Trump said when answering questions about the project in July.
The privately funded project does not use any funds appropriated by Congress the White House has said so. The project represents the first major change at the White House since 1942, when the East Wing was renovated, according to a statement of the Society of Architectural Historians.
White House Press Office in a statement called the demolition concern “manufactured outrage” and called the ballroom a “bold and necessary addition that echoes the storied history of improvements and additions” by previous presidents.
The White House says the National Capital Planning Commission, which has an oversight role on major renovations of Washington’s historic buildings, will have an opportunity to review the plans after the demolition is complete.
“Construction plans have not yet been submitted to the National Capital Planning Commission, but will be soon,” a White House official said in a Reuters report. The NCPC has no jurisdiction over the demolition work, the official said.
The White House, like the Capitol and the Supreme Court building, are exempt of provisions of the National Historic Preservation Act that require agencies to submit plans to the Department of the Interior when seeking to alter historic buildings, although it is customary for administrations to submit their White House renovation plans to NCPC and another board, the US Commission of Fine Arts, before moving forward.
“Although not legally binding, [these reviews] they form the preservation framework that has guided White House alterations for decades and remains relevant even for privately funded work. The Engineering News-Record report says.
In a letter Tuesday, the National Trust for Historic Preservation asked the White House to halt the demolition until NCPC, the Commission on Fine Arts and the public have had a chance to weigh in.
“The federally recognized Department of the Interior Standards for Rehabilitation provide clear guidance for construction projects affecting historic properties,” NTHP President and CEO Carol Quillen, said in the letter. “The rules provide that new additions should not destroy the historic fabric of the property.”
ACECO, the Maryland-based contractor that demolished the building, has faced criticism online and its website is down, the Baltimore Banner reported. “The company’s website now says it is ‘under construction,'” the report said. The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
“Destroying ‘The People’s House’ without regard to their permission,” said one commenter on a Google Maps page, Newsweek reported. “Deplorable behavior regardless of the reason.”
The company received a number of such messages on Tuesday, Newsweek said. “Dozens of people … have similar feelings,” he said.
The addition is expected to be completed before the end of President Trump’s term, CBS reported.
