Construction on President Donald Trump’s planned White House ballroom will continue after a federal judge denied a preservation group’s request to temporarily halt the project, allowing demolition and early-stage work on the East Wing site to proceed while imposing limited requirements on the administration.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation had sought an injunction to pause construction, arguing that the project bypassed legally required review processes meant to protect historic federal properties. U.S. District Judge Richard Leon ruled against the Trust last week, clearing the way for ongoing work.
“The American people own these places. And we, the American people, have a right to weigh in when significant changes to them are proposed,” said Carol Quillen, president and CEO of the Trust. “This project needs to follow the already legally mandated processes.”
The ruling comes after rapid demolition work at the White House complex in October, when the East Wing and a connecting corridor were dismantled within days. Preservation advocates say the pace of construction has outstripped opportunities for expert and public input.
Quillen said the Trust remains concerned about what may come next, noting her organization has “deep concern” about future projects. The lawsuit seeks a judicial declaration that would require pre-demolition review procedures for White House construction to prevent historic elements from being removed before public evaluation.
While Judge Leon denied the Trust’s request to stop construction, he ordered the administration to submit ballroom construction plans to the National Capital Planning Commission and the Commission of Fine Arts by the end of the month — a step the White House had already indicated it intended to take.
“We view the judge’s order as really helpful. And we learned a lot and it actually facilitates our aims in the suit,” Quillen said.
The White House has argued that it is not required to seek approval from oversight bodies at this stage, maintaining that the commissions’ authority applies only to vertical construction, not demolition. Government attorneys also told the court that final construction plans have not yet been completed.
In a statement regarding future changes, a White House official said, “There are no plans for any demolition of any structures at this time.”
As part of court filings, the administration released a previously unpublished environmental assessment prepared by the National Park Service in August. The document outlines the scope, timeline, and site preparations for the planned 90,000-square-foot ballroom addition.
The Trust is also asking the court to enforce a federal law requiring congressional approval for new construction on public grounds in Washington, D.C. The statute states that, “A building or structure shall not be erected on any reservation, park, or public grounds of the Federal Government in the District of Columbia without express authority of Congress.”
The White House ballroom project, estimated at $400 million and privately financed, has not yet received formal congressional approval, and no related legislation is currently under consideration. The administration maintains that the president has unilateral authority to build on White House grounds.
“When projects like this go through these processes, the outcome ends up being better. The people have a voice. You build more support for the project. It becomes a more lasting legacy and improvements can be made to it along the way,” Quillen said.
The National Capital Planning Commission is scheduled to hear a presentation on the ballroom project on Jan. 8, with another court hearing set for Jan. 15 as legal challenges continue.
Originally reported by Arden Farhi, Jennifer Jacobs in CBS News.
