US judge to weigh new bid to halt Trump’s $400 million ballroom project

By Mike Scarcella

WASHINGTON, March 17 (Reuters) – A federal judge in Washington is set to hear new arguments on Tuesday over the fate of U.S. President Donald Trump’s planned $400 million White House ballroom, as preservationists seek an order to halt construction on the site of the demolished East Wing. 

U.S. District Judge Richard Leon at a 3:30 p.m. ET (1930 GMT) hearing will consider a request for a preliminary injunction by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which claims the Republican president launched the massive project without required approvals or authorization by Congress. 

The National Trust sued Trump and several federal agencies in December, after the president in October began tearing down the 120-year-old East Wing to build what he has vowed will be the “finest” ballroom in the country.

The 90,000-square-foot ballroom project is part of the president’s broad effort to reshape Washington, including plans to build a 250-foot arch and revamp the Kennedy Center, a cultural landmark and performance center.

A panel of the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts in February voted 6-0 to approve Trump’s ballroom proposal. Trump appointed all of the commissioners in January. 

Leon rejected an earlier bid by the National Trust to halt construction of the ballroom last month, ruling that he could not issue an injunction based on the group’s arguments that the project violated provisions of the U.S. Constitution and ran afoul of administrative law restrictions.

In its renewed injunction request, the National Trust argued the project is beyond the scope of Trump’s authority because neither the president nor the National Park Service has authority to demolish the East Wing and replace it with a large event space without explicit approval from Congress.

“Historical practice further demonstrates that when Congress wants to authorize the erection of privately funded structures on D.C. federal parkland, it knows precisely how to do it,” the National Trust said in a court filing.

The Justice Department in a March 12 filing urged the court to again deny an injunction, saying the National Trust failed to reach the high bar of showing Trump exceeded his authority.  

The ballroom project, the DOJ told the court, will provide the White House grounds “with modernized infrastructure, improved security, and other benefits, relieving pressure on the historic Executive Mansion in order to best preserve it for future generations.”

The government also disputed that Congress must approve each individual structure built in Washington’s federal parks.

(Reporting by Mike Scarcella; Editing by David Bario and Nia Williams)