WASHINGTON—Long before he became president, Donald Trump envisioned a White House ballroom and even offered to build one at his own expense. The Obama administration turned him down.
Now, as the current resident of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, Trump is bringing that long-held dream to life in the traditional, classical design he favors most.
“It'll be beautiful, top of the line,” Trump said on July 31 when he first announced his ballroom project.
“We’ve retained the best architects and engineers.”
Soon after demolition began on the East Wing on Oct. 20, the project quickly formed the basis of a political debate, with critics accusing Trump of erasing White House history, and supporters arguing that the new ballroom was long overdue.
Trump said that presidents had wanted a ballroom for 150 years, but none had his experience in building them. Despite being a national landmark, the White House has limited space to accommodate large gatherings.
The East Room—the largest event space on the property—fits about 200 guests. The State Dining Room, used for formal dinners and receptions, holds 140 people. As a result, large gatherings are often hosted in temporary tents built on the South Lawn, which Trump has described as “not a pretty sight.”
The new ballroom will be 90,000 square feet and host up to 999 guests.
“Adding a large ballroom makes good sense—it’s an intelligent project to do,” Richard Cameron, architectural designer and co-founder of Atelier & Co. in the New York City borough of Brooklyn, told The Epoch Times.
He said that the White House has long been too small for a country with immense global power and influence, especially when it comes to hosting major diplomatic gatherings.
Architect Behind Project
Trump has tapped James McCrery, 60, a leading architect in classical and traditional design, to lead the project. McCrery is a professor of architecture at the Catholic University of America and founder of McCrery Architects, a Washington-based firm.
McCrery has earned international recognition for his work on traditional Roman Catholic churches. His most notable projects include Sacred Heart Cathedral in Knoxville, Tennessee, and St. Mary Help of Christians in Aiken, South Carolina. He has also worked on projects at the Supreme Court and other civic institutions.
In a recent interview with The European Conservative, McCrery said he believes God guided him toward a career in classical architecture. During Trump’s first term, he served on the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, the federal body responsible for offering design consultation for the nation’s capital.
The project has an ambitious timeline, as the White House predicts its completion will occur “long before the end of President Trump’s term.”
Funded by Private Donors
Trump and private donors will be footing the $300 million bill for the new building.
Tech giants, defense contractors, and billionaires are among those contributing, according to a list released by the White House last week.
Wealthy individuals who have contributed to the ballroom project include Blackstone CEO Stephen Schwarzman, oil tycoon Harold Hamm, private equity investor Konstantin Sokolov, and Edward Glazer, who owns the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Manchester United.
Democrats have criticized the new ballroom project. On the Senate floor on Oct. 23, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said that Trump was not focused on health care as he should be, but instead on “vanity projects, like this one.”
Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) sent a letter to each donor on Oct. 24, asking for details on the amount of their donation and whether any promises were made in exchange.
Siri Terjesen, an associate dean at the Florida Atlantic University College of Business, views the fundraising differently.
“There is an incredibly rich, long history in the United States of private philanthropy for all causes. And the White House is just the latest and greatest example,” Terjesen, who focuses on entrepreneurship and philanthropy, told The Epoch Times.
“That’s not illegal; that’s the way our system works,” she said.
BOOKMARKS
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