Trump's golden ballroom: $200 million expansion announced in latest White House overhaul
WASHINGTON ― The White House plans to begin construction in September on a $200 million ballroom on the east part of the mansion that President Donald Trump has vowed to pay for with his own money and private donations.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the new "innately designed and carefully crafted" 90,000 square-foot ballroom will be a "much needed and exquisite addition" to hold large events on the White House complex.
The ballroom, which the White House expects to be completed before the end of Trump's term in 2029, will be able to hold 650 people, about 200 more than the White House's East Room, where presidents have historically held large receptions. Trump has frequently complained the White House lacks a proper large-scale ballroom for entertaining.
"President Trump and other donors have generously committed to donating the funds necessary to build this $200 million structure," Leavitt said during a July 31 briefing with reporters.
Leavitt did not name the donors at the press briefing, nor did the accompanying statement from the White House list them. USA TODAY reached out to the White House to clarify if the donor list would be made public Thursday evening and did not receive an immediate response.
More: How Trump's personal aesthetic is redefining White House décor: 'I picked it all myself'
Leavitt said the East Wing of the White House will be "modernized" as part of the project and that East Wing staffers, including aides to first lady Melania Trump, will be temporarily relocated. The East Wing, constructed in 1902, has been changed and renovated several times, Leavitt said, with a second story added in 1942.
Leavitt said the ballroom will be "substantially separated" from the main building of the White House, yet "its theme and architectural heritage will be almost identical."
The White House released a handful of renderings showing the interior of the ballroom will have white and gold walls and trimmings with large windows letting in natural light, while occupying a large footprint on the Whtie House's south lawn.
The massive overhaul comes as Trump has pushed through several cosmetic changes at the White House, including an ongoing renovation of the Rose Garden, turning it into a stone patio; new gold embroidery throughout the Oval Office; and two soaring flag poles on the north and south lawns.
More: Trump installs pair of 88-foot-tall new flag poles at the White House
"President Trump is a builder at heart and has an extraordinary eye for detail," White House chief of staff Susie Wiles said in a statement. "The president and the Trump White House are fully committed to working with the appropriate organization to preserve the special history of the White House while building a beautiful ballroom that be enjoyed by future administrations and generations of Americans to come."
The government has contracted Clark Construction to oversee the project and Washington-based McCrery Architects as the lead architect.
Contributing: Reuters
Reach Joey Garrison on X @joeygarrison.
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