The National Capital Planning Commission delayed its vote on the White House ballroom project until early next month after hearing critics during a public meeting on Thursday.
Widespread pushback against the construction was expected after the commission released thousands of pages featuring mostly negative comments.
NCPC Chairman Will Scharf, whom President Donald Trump personally appointed to lead the 12-member federal body, said the final vote will be held on April 2. The vote would have been held immediately after the public meeting, but Scharf explained the delay was due to the “amount of the testimony that we’re hearing and the large volume of written comments.”
About 100 people — including architects, preservation experts, and ordinary citizens — signed up to speak at a public testimony about the ballroom.
“One way or the other, we are going to make sure that members of the public have the opportunity to be heard on this project,” Scharf said.
Among the critics who to the Trump-aligned commission about their concerns were Rep. Mike Turner (R-OH), co-chairman of the Congressional Historical Preservation Caucus; Rep. James Comer (R-KY), chairman of the House oversight committee and an ex officio NCPC member; architect Larysa Kurylas, who leads her own firm in Washington, D.C.; and National Trust for Historic Preservation President and CEO Carol Quillen.
Most of the other were harsher, with people calling the proposed ballroom “garish and vulgar,” “hideous,” and “appalling.” Some of the written comments contained profanities. Many were outraged over the Trump administration’s demolition of the East Wing, which will be replaced by the 90,000-square-foot ballroom.
The plan for an extension to the White House has also faced pushback, including a lawsuit filed by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. That suit was rejected by a federal judge on procedural grounds last week, though the legal challenge can proceed after the plaintiff amends its complaint, as recommended by the judge.
The plaintiff is expected to shift its focus to allegations of a quid pro quo agreement with corporate donors and arguments that Trump exceeded his authority in renovating the White House without first obtaining congressional approval.
The Commission of Fine Arts approved the estimated $400 million ballroom project in a unanimous vote last month. It only needs the NCPC to sign off on its approval before more construction can proceed.
Trump has repeatedly posted concept images on Truth Social of what the ballroom will look like once completed. Thursday was no different as the NCPC hearing was underway.
“Will be the Greatest Ballroom ever built, now rising at the site of the White House — Fully paid for by American Patriot Donors,” Trump wrote in a Feb. 18 post. “ZERO cost to our United States Taxpayers!”
