The White House is seeking to put President Donald Trump's ballroom project in the permitting fast lane, as federal agencies lack simple details about the project and are still waiting for building plans.
The Trump administration already caused massive controversy by summarily razing the East Wing of the White House to begin work.
According to The Washington Post, "The dueling accounts and compressed review schedule underscore a central dispute over the project: whether the Trump administration is taking the procedural steps required under federal preservation law, or advancing construction in ways that could foreclose meaningful public review. By pouring millions into early foundation work while approvals remain unresolved, critics argue, the White House risks constraining meaningful scrutiny by oversight bodies."
"The Trump administration said it formally submitted applications on Dec. 22 to two committees charged by Congress with reviewing federal construction: the National Capital Planning Commission and the Commission of Fine Arts, according to a White House official," said the report. "Three days earlier, White House officials met separately with staff members from each commission to present a slide deck and conceptual renderings the administration released in July, the official said."
Ultimately, according to the report, the White House wants the ballroom to be complete within nine months, a drastic difference from other projects of similar scale that have taken years to complete the permitting.
"The review process for the ballroom building departs sharply from past practice," said the report. "Large projects have previously undergone a rigorous, multistage review that begins well before any demolition or site work. Agencies typically engage planning commission staff months or years in advance, former commission officials and construction entities have said. At each stage, commissioners and staff evaluate design, siting and environmental impacts."
The plans for Trump's ballroom, as well as a massive arch he hopes to have completed in time for America's 250th anniversary celebration next summer, are not the only drastic changes the president wants to make to D.C. He is also planning the demolition of 13 historic buildings, putting him in direct conflict with preservation groups.