White House Ballroom Project Receives Federal Judge's Approval and Commission of Fine Arts Support
A federal judge has given the green light for the White House ballroom project to move forward following the Trump administration's commitment to a review by the Commission of Fine Arts. President Trump has appointed four new members to the Commission, including an architect who provided the initial designs for the ballroom. The appointees include Mary Anne Carter, Roger Kimball, and Matthew Taylor, as well as James McCrery, the first architect on the project. Despite some tension over the project's scope, Mr. McCrery remains a consultant and is on good terms with Mr. Trump.
Last year, the surprise demolition of the White House's East Wing prompted Mr. Trump to push for the construction of a new ballroom with minimal obstacles. The president's decision to dismiss all six members of the Commission of Fine Arts in October was met with promises to appoint new members aligned with his "America First" agenda. The commission, a federal agency advising on design matters, is expected to review the ballroom project once the new members are in place.
Historic preservationists have pressured the administration to subject the ballroom project to a formal review process. A federal judge's approval for the project to proceed was granted based on the administration's commitment to undergo the necessary review. The project is now set to advance with the support of the Commission of Fine Arts and the newly appointed members.