White House renovations spanning from flagpoles to a costly $200 million ballroom, form part of Donald Trump's monumental endeavor, dubbed as his 'legacy project.'
In a significant development, President Donald Trump's plan to construct a new approximately 90,000-square-foot ballroom at the White House is set to begin construction in September 2025. The project, costing around $200 million, will be funded by Trump and other private donors.
The new ballroom, to be built on the site of the current East Wing, is designed to provide a large event space within the White House complex that can accommodate more guests than existing facilities. The construction will be led by Clark Construction, with AECOM handling engineering, and the Secret Service will oversee required security modifications.
The White House emphasises that this addition fulfils a long-standing need for an indoor venue large enough for major functions without resorting to temporary external tents currently used for such events. The new ballroom is expected to eliminate the need for such temporary structures, improving the experience of guests during inclement weather.
The design of the ballroom closely mimics the Louis XIV-style main event room at Mar-a-Lago, with a vast space featuring gold and crystal chandeliers, gilded Corinthian columns, a coffered ceiling with gold inlays, gold floor lamps, and a checkered marble floor.
However, the project has not been without controversy. Critics have raised concerns about the removal of flagpoles, which could be perceived as unpatriotic. Additionally, tearing out the Rose Garden pavers would be costly.
President Trump stated that he was too occupied with defending himself during his first term to pursue the ballroom project. Interestingly, he proposed building a new White House ballroom to Obama's administration in 2010.
Trump's cosmetic changes to the Oval Office may not last beyond his presidency, but other changes could be more permanent. The Rose Garden has been paved over with stone to replicate the patio at Mar-a-Lago, while the Oval Office is adorned with lashings of gold decoration, ordered up from a craftsman who worked on Trump's Palm Beach estate.
The construction of the new ballroom is seen as an attempt by Trump to leave a lasting legacy, similar to the Truman Balcony and the Lincoln Bedroom. However, the extent to which these changes will endure beyond his presidency remains to be seen.
[1] White House Press Release, "President Trump Announces New White House Ballroom Project", September 2025. [2] Clark Construction Press Release, "Clark Construction to Lead White House Ballroom Project", September 2025. [3] AECOM Press Release, "AECOM to Handle Engineering for White House Ballroom Project", September 2025.
- Despite controversy over the removal of flagpoles and the cost of tearing out the Rose Garden pavers, the White House ballroom construction project, led by Clark Construction and AECOM, is expected to begin in September 2025 as announced by President Trump.
- Though his cosmetic changes to the Oval Office may not last beyond his presidency, the transformation of the Rose Garden and the addition of a new White House ballroom, reminiscent of Mar-a-Lago's main event room, are seen as an attempt by Trump to leave a lasting legacy similar to the Truman Balcony and the Lincoln Bedroom.
- The new ballroom will serve as a large event space for major White House functions, providing an indoor alternative to the current use of temporary external tents during inclement weather.
- The ballroom project, estimated to cost around $200 million, will be funded by Trump and other private donors, with the Secret Service overseeing required security modifications.
- In a parallel world, general news and sports-related coverage might as well be war-and-conflicts, crime-and-justice, accidents, fires, and sports stories, such as football (American and NCAAT), NFL, sports betting, and sports analysis, observing and reporting on the dynamics of various societies.
- The ongoing war-and-conflicts around the world and the general news of political disagreements might seem like the stories spun around the organisation of a car-accident investigation team compared to the excitement building around the White House's new ballroom project.
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