Donald Trump’s ever-expanding ballroom will form part of a new two-story building that will dominate the White House and feature monumental stairs, guest suites, and a multi-level passageway connecting it to the president’s main residence.
As Trump let it slip on Tuesday that his Mar-a-Lago-style project would now cost $400 million—double the original price tag—government documents submitted in court this week revealed how much the plan has grown since it was announced.
According to a review by the National Parks Service, which manages the White House grounds, construction of the ballroom “would introduce both adverse and beneficial effects” to the area.
It would “dominate the eastern portion of the site, creating a visual imbalance with the more modestly scaled West Wing and Executive Mansion.”
Some streets around the White House would also be closed until the ballroom was completed in 2028 to make way for a temporary construction zone near the now-demolished East Wing.
And historic gardens have been removed, along with trees and sand shrubs around the famous grounds, including Jackie Kennedy’s garden and a treasured magnolia tree planted in 1942 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
But the documents also show that the project involves not just a 90,000-square-foot ballroom but also a new multi-level colonnade, a larger visitor entrance “with monumental stairs to the ballroom,” and a new passageway connecting the ballroom to the executive residence where the president lives.
“The new building will be approximately 90,000 square feet and will be connected to the Executive Mansion through the East Colonnade. The East Colonnade will be renovated to include a secure second story that will provide direct access from the East Room to the State Ballroom, while maintaining existing ground-floor access to and from the main Executive Mansion,” the documents say.
“The second floor of the new building will feature a State Ballroom, while the first floor will accommodate guest suites, executive offices, restrooms, and a visitor entrance with expanded interpretive areas.
And the first floor will be “the visitor entrance to the building with monumental stairs to the ballroom and will house storage, mechanical equipment, and mission space. Ground-floor restrooms will support events on the South Lawn.”
The review was submitted in court as part of a legal challenge by the National Trust Preservation Committee, which accused the president of overstepping his authority to fast-track the controversial project.
The action was the first major lawsuit attempting to halt further construction until a “legally mandated review process” could take place that would give Americans a say in the development of the so-called “People’s House.”
“No president is legally allowed to tear down portions of the White House without any review whatsoever—not President Trump, not President Biden, not anyone else,” says the group’s complaint, which was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.
However, federal judge Richard Leon, a Bush-appointee, signaled on Tuesday he was likely to let construction continue but would give the White House two weeks to submit its yet-to-be-finalised plans to relevant review panels.
This came after Justice Department lawyers argued that the East Wing had already been torn down, so there was no need for the court to pause the project.
They also argued that construction should continue due to national security concerns and argued that the White House was exempt from reviews that apply to federal agencies’ construction projects.
Trump revealed on Tuesday that the cost of his ballroom had again increased and would now cost $400 million. This is up from the latest estimate of $300 and double what the White House said in July when it announced the project.
“We’re donating a $400 million ballroom, and we got sued not to build it,” Trump told guests at a Hanukkah party at the White House.
The new ballroom will be privately funded by Trump and various billionaire donors, including Apple, Amazon, Microsoft, and Palantir, many of whom currently benefit from lucrative government contracts or government deregulation.
The Daily Beast has reached out to the White House to ask why the cost has increased and whether the additional $100 million has already been raised from donors, but officials have yet to respond.
The White House has also not responded to questions about whether it will submit its final plans to the planning authorities, as requested by the court.
However, earlier this month, spokesman David Ingles told the Daily Beast that “President Trump has full legal authority to modernize, renovate, and beautify the White House—just like all of his predecessors did.”
The documents filed in court also show that the White House had three specifications for the new ballroom: “(1) immediate adjacency to the Executive Mansion (2) a direct ceremonial procession from the East Room into the venue, and (3) secure second-story access from the Executive Residence.”
And while there would be “adverse” impacts, it would also provide a much-needed space for White House events that could accommodate up to 1000 guests, far more than the East Room, which currently has capacity for only 300.
“The exterior design of the new East Wing building will be compatible with the Executive Mansion through classical elements such as columns and pediments,” the NPS assessment said.
“Materials will include a white painted exterior, historically compatible windows and doors, and an architecturally compatible roof. Interior finishes will include stone slab flooring, decorative plaster moldings, and high-quality finishes for elevator cabs.”
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