Trump evicts Melania from East Wing to make $200m ballroom in major White House revamp? Check details

Economic Times

5 days ago

Reuters
The First Lady's office is located in the East Wing of the White House
The White House has announced plans to build a $200m (£151m) new ballroom, fulfilling an often-repeated desire of US President Donald Trump. The new ballroom will be built alongside a "modernised" East Wing of the White House. It currently houses the offices of First Lady Melania Trump and other key White House posts.The announcement was made during White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt's weekly briefing Thursday, where she gave details about multiple new programs under President Donald Trump's second term."[The East Wing is] Going to be modernized, the necessary construction will take place, and for those who are housed in the east wing, including the office of the First Lady, the White House military office, the White House visitors' offices, those offices will be temporarily relocated while the East Wing is being modernized," Leavitt stated.
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"The White House State Ballroom will be a much-needed and exquisite addition of approximately 90,000 total square feet of ornately designed and carefully crafted space, with a seated capacity of 650 people — a significant increase from the 200-person seated capacity in the East Room of the White House," an official statement read.President Trump has chosen McCrery Architects as lead architect, which is well-known for their classical architectural design and based in our nation's capital. The construction team will be headed by Clark Construction, and the engineering team will be led by AECOM. The project will begin in September 2025, and it is expected to be completed long before the end of President Trump's term.
Leavitt stated that construction will commence in mid-September and be completed "well before the president leaves office". According to Leavitt, and it's not just for the current administration's use, it's for future administrations to come, which the press secretary explained during the press conference.ALSO READ: Social Security eyes massive reform in US: New policy could hit 3.4 million Americans this month
She disclosed: "In recent weeks, President Trump has held several meetings with members of the White House staff, the National Park Service, the White House Military Office, and the United States Secret Service to discuss design features and planning."Trump has repeatedly promised to build a "beautiful" ballroom at the White House, and in 2016 offered to pay $100m during Barack Obama's administration - which the then-President rejected.The US President revealed his new White House feature - a new ballroom - will cause the First Lady to be evicted from her office in the East Wing reports The Irish Star. The First Lady's office is located in the East Wing of the White House. Specifically, Melania Trump and her staff is located there.
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The "FLOTUS" Instagram page is also associated with this location. The East Wing also houses the offices of the First Lady's staff and other support personnel."[The East Wing is] Going to be modernized, the necessary construction will take place, and for those who are housed in the east wing, including the office of the First Lady, the White House military office, the White House visitors' offices, those offices will be temporarily relocated while the East Wing is being modernized," Leavitt stated.The new ballroom is designed to complement the White House's Georgian architectural style. It will be accessible from the East Room—the largest room in the White House—which Trump believes is insufficient for hosting large events.