US fine arts commission expected to vote to advance White House ballroom plan

Artist renderings and diagrams of the new White House East Wing and Ballroom (Jon Elswick/AP)

A federal panel responsible for reviewing President Donald Trump’s plans to build a massive ballroom on the site of the former White House East Wing is expected to vote to advance the project.

The US Commission of Fine Arts is likely to vote on the design at its monthly meeting, which is being held over Zoom. The panel is now led by appointees of the Republican president.

At the January meeting, some of those commissioners questioned the lead architect about the “immense” design and scale of the project even as they broadly endorsed Mr Trump’s vision for a ballroom roughly twice the size of the White House itself.

Mr Trump’s decision to demolish the East Wing prompted a public outcry when it began without the independent reviews, congressional approval and public comment that are typical even for relatively minor modifications to historic buildings in Washington.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation has sued in federal court to halt construction of the ballroom. The judge’s decision in the case is pending.

The project is scheduled for additional discussion at a March 5 meeting of the National Capital Planning Commission, which is led by one of Mr Trump’s top White House aides.

The commission has jurisdiction over construction and major renovations to government buildings in the region.