The Commission of Fine Arts has postponed a planned review of President Trump’s new ballroom because he has yet to appoint new members to the panel to replace the ones he fired months ago.
The White House fired all six members of the independent agency in October, promising to appoint members who shared Mr. Trump’s “America First” agenda. But the administration has not done so.
The panel was supposed to meet Thursday, and on the agenda was an “information presentation” about the ballroom project. But the review has been pushed back a week to give the president more time to handpick the panel members, according to the agency.
In October, Mr. Trump abruptly tore down one side of the White House, demolishing the entire East Wing, which contained the historical offices of the first lady, to make way for his new ballroom. At the time, no construction plans had been submitted to any oversight authority.
The administration has been under pressure from historic preservationists to submit the new ballroom project to a formal review process. A federal judge has allowed the project to proceed because of the administration’s pledges to undergo review. Last week, Shalom Baranes, the architect on the ballroom project, presented preliminary plans to the National Capital Planning Commission.
Several members of the National Capital Planning Commission said during the meeting that they had questions about the size of the ballroom, which critics have said could dwarf the existing White House.
“It still seems to me it’s overwhelming the existing building,” Phil Mendelson, the chairman of the D.C. City Council, said during the meeting.
At that meeting, Mr. Baranes spoke of a possible addition to the West Wing colonnade, to match the height of the ballroom project.
The president has repeatedly pushed to increase the size of the ballroom, more than doubling initial plans.
Mr. Baranes said the final drawings would plan for about 1,000 seated guests.
The project’s price tag has also grown. Mr. Trump initially said it would cost $200 million to build, before raising the figure to $300 million and then $400 million.
In addition to the lawsuit filed by historic preservationists, the Trump administration is also facing a legal challenge from the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization, which is seeking to compel disclosure of all documents and other information “regarding the release and removal of dangerous asbestos fibers” during the October demolition of the East Wing.
Luke Broadwater covers the White House for The Times.
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