White House Ballroom Plans Face Legal Hurdles

President Trump wants a new ballroom in the White House. The room would cost about $400 million and cover 90, 000 square feet. Two days after a judge said the project cannot go ahead without Congress, Washington’s planning commission will vote on it Thursday. The National Capital Planning Commission, led by Trump’s former lawyer Will Scharf, will decide whether to approve the “East Wing Modernization Project. ” Trump says the ballroom is a private investment that will become a lasting symbol of his presidency. He also plans other changes to Washington, like a 250‑foot arch and renovations of the Kennedy Center. He has already removed the White House Rose Garden and added gold trim to the Oval Office.The commission is one of two federal groups that oversee major projects in D. C. , the other being the U. S. Commission of Fine Arts. Trump chose several members for both groups, giving him influence over decisions that affect the capital’s historic sites. The Justice Department appealed a ruling that Trump cannot build on the former East Wing site without congressional approval. The judge had granted an injunction for the National Trust for Historic Preservation, a nonprofit that sued over the demolition of the historic wing.