The Trump administration will close the Kennedy Center for at least one week to examine the extent of “severe structural deterioration” in the facility, the center’s executive director, Matt Floca, said in a Thursday court filing.
“During this temporary closure, which will last for seven days, unless extended, I intend to assess existing safety risks in those portions of the main building exhibiting severe structural deterioration. I further intend to reevaluate the need for continued closure on a weekly basis,” Floca wrote in a Thursday court filing.
The clarification on the facility’s closure comes two days after the Kennedy Center board of trustees voted to close the performing arts center for safety reasons. President Donald Trump said Tuesday that although the board voted to immediately close, the renovation process — which the administration has hailed as necessary for the facility’s structural integrity — would not be allowed to proceed until the courts rule that the center can add his name to the facade.
Following Tuesday’s board meeting, it was not immediately clear how long the center would be closed for. But Floca’s declaration to the court — plus an additional email disclosed in court that he sent to the Kennedy Center staff — puts a timeline of more than one week on the closure, which he says is a “decision by management” separate from the board’s vote that is still awaiting court approval.
“To be clear, this is not a decision to effectuate the Board’s separate vote to close the building for renovation,” Floca wrote in the email to Kennedy Center staff, “it is a distinct decision by management to address imminent life-safety risks pending the Court’s ruling on that vote.”
The one-week closure began on Wednesday. Floca also clarified that it is the main building that would be closed, while the center’s REACH space — which features rehearsal studios and classrooms, among other areas — will remain open. In the email, Floca told Kennedy Center staff not to report to the facility unless deemed essential, saying the rest of the employees have been approved for remote work.
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Rep. Joyce Beatty (D-OH), an ex officio member of the board who is leading the charge in the lawsuit against the Kennedy Center closure and Trump name change, filed a different notice to the court on Thursday as well.
She notified the court of a viral image of Trump reading a large placard on Air Force One that read “Kennedy Center DEMOLISHED” and a quote he gave to reporters that warned the center could “close” and “end up being ripped down” if the Trump administration is not recognized on the building.