President Donald Trump will leave a big mark on the White House — literally.
After installing two new flag poles and reworking the Rose Garden, Trump will construct a massive ballroom extending from the East Wing, press secretary Karoline Leavitt announced Thursday.
“We are proud to announce that the construction of the new White House ballroom will begin,” Leavitt said. “For 150 years, presidents, administrations, and White House staff have longed for a large event space on the White House complex that can hold substantially more guests than currently allowed. President Trump has expressed his commitment to solving this problem on behalf of future administrations and the American people.”
Currently, the largest permanent event space on the grounds is the East Room, which the Trump administration said can accommodate 200 people. However, for larger events, a massive, “unsightly” tent must be temporarily placed on the South Lawn.
Beginning in September, a permanent ballroom will be built, spanning 90,000 square feet, which is about the size of 1 1/2 football fields.
Once completed, the ballroom will have a capacity of 650 people, according to the White House.
Trump has been holding meetings with staff, the National Park Service, the White House Military Office, and the Secret Service to discuss design features and planning. The White House said Trump is financing the $200 million construction cost himself, along with “other patriot donors.”
The White House grounds have remained mostly untouched since the Truman administration in the early 1950s, lead architect Jim McCrery said in a release, which also promised that the new structure will match the White House’s existing architecture.
Clark Construction will build the facility, and AECOM will handle engineering. The White House said it will be completed “long before” Trump leaves office.
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“President Trump is a builder at heart and has an extraordinary eye for detail,” White House chief of staff Susie Wiles said in a release. “The president and the Trump White House are fully committed to working with the appropriate organizations to preserving the special history of the White House while building a beautiful ballroom that can be enjoyed by future administrations and generations of Americans to come.”
Renderings and updates on the project can be found at whitehouse.gov/visit.