President Donald Trump has shifted course on his plans for the new White House ballroom, which is currently under construction, by appointing a new lead architect for the project. The ballroom — expected to be the largest addition to the White House since the Oval Office — is necessary because large events held at the White House must be outdoors in tents at the present time and are subject to weather conditions, Trump has said.
“Trump has selected Shalom Baranes to replace James McCrery II as the chief architect of the planned 90,000-square-foot, gilded ballroom, the White House has now confirmed,” Newsweek reported.
White House spokesperson David Ingle said: “Shalom is an accomplished architect whose work has shaped the architectural identity of our nation’s capital for decades and his experience will be a great asset to the completion of this project.”
The planned ballroom would nearly double the overall size of the White House complex, and satellite images have shown that demolition activity is visible from space, Newsweek said.
Shalom Baranes Associateswas founded in 1981 and is known for its work on prominent federal buildings in Washington, including the main Treasury Department building, the headquarters of the General Services Administration and the American Red Cross national headquarters.
“As we begin to transition into the next stage of development on the White House Ballroom, the administration is excited to share that the highly talented Shalom Baranes has joined the team of experts to carry out President Trump’s vision on building what will be the greatest addition to the White House since the Oval Office–the White House Ballroom,” Ingle added.
Kevin Heins, a retired military and law enforcement veteran who was also visiting the White House as tours reopened this week, told Newsweek: “The tour was a little bit shorter, but I think in the long run, with the extension of the ballroom, I think it’s going to be a good thing because you won’t have to wait outside in tents for events and all that.
“I just think that, with our country, we should have something nice to host events at the White House,” he added.
Trump on Saturday defended the cost of the new White House ballroom after questions were raised about a significant increase in its projected price.
The ballroom had initially been estimated at $200 million, but the figure later rose to $300 million.
Trump, who was a real estate mogul in his former life before politics, pushed back when asked about the higher price tag by CNN chief White House correspondent Kaitlan Collins during an exchange on Saturday.
“Caitlin Collins of Fake News CNN, always Stupid and Nasty, asked me why the new Ballroom was costing more money than originally thought one year ago,” the president wrote on social media. “I said because it is going to be double the size, and the quality of finishes and interiors has been brought to the highest level.
“Also, the column SPAN has been substantially increased for purposes of viewing. It is actually under budget and ahead of schedule, as my jobs always are,” he added.
Trump went on to say that the changing price was because the ballroom plans are now “much bigger and more beautiful than originally planned.”
“Interestingly and seldom reported, there are no taxpayer dollars involved. It is being fully paid for by private donations,” he said.
The new ballroom, which has not yet been named, is expected to span approximately 90,000 square feet — far larger than the roughly 55,000-square-foot White House residence, excluding the West Wing.
The administration initially said the ballroom would seat about 650 people, though President Trump has since claimed it will accommodate closer to 1,000.
