The White House’s new $200 million ballroom is getting even bigger. According to President Donald Trump, the space will now have 40 percent more capacity than originally stated.
Ballroom Plans
The White House announced plans for the ballroom in July, and said it would be approximately 90,000 total square feet with a seated capacity of 650 people. On September 14, Trump told NBC News that, “We’re making it a little bigger. It will be top of the line, as good as it can get anywhere in the world.” He said the capacity would now be 900 people.
The ballroom will be built on the site of the current East Wing building. The White House said it will be “substantially separated from the main building of the White House.” But “its theme and architectural heritage will be almost identical.”
Trump and other donors will donate the funds for the new building. McLean-based Clark Construction is building the ballroom. DC-based McCrery Architects is designing the space, and AECOM is leading the engineering team.
Work Has Begun
The Washington Post reported that crews have begun to cut down trees and clear shrubs on the White House’s South Lawn to prepare the construction site. And a White House official said that offices located in the East Wing, including the visitors center, have been temporarily relocated.
The White House has not released architectural plans for the building. And has not submitted the project to the National Capital Planning Commission, the agency that typically reviews plans for changes to federal property, according to The Washington Post.
Feature image of ballroom rendering courtesy The White House
