The White House doesn’t need approval from a government construction commission to begin demolition for President Donald Trump’s $200 million ballroom, according to a Trump-appointed head of the panel.
Will Scharf, who also serves as White House staff secretary, appeared to give the green light for the project to begin in remarks he made Thursday at a public meeting.
He was appointed by the president in July to preside over the National Capital Planning Commission, which is responsible for approving construction work and major renovations to government buildings in the Washington area.
Crews are expected to break ground this month on the lavish 90,000 square foot ballroom, which is likely to greatly alter the look and size of both the White House's East and West Wings.
Scharf said Thursday that the board does not have jurisdiction over demolition or site preparation work for buildings on federal property.
“What we deal with is essentially construction, vertical build,” Scharf said, as he made the distinction between demolition work and rebuilding. He said the planning commission was only required to vet the latter.
“I think any assertion that this commission should have been consulted earlier than it has been, or it will be, is simply false,” he said.
He later added: “I’m excited for us to play a role in the ballroom project when the time is appropriate for us to do so.”
Asked after the meeting if the eventual approval process might delay work on the ballroom, Scharf said: “Demolition and site preparation work can certainly occur, but if you’re talking about actually building anything, then, yeah, it should go through our approval process.”
“Given the president’s history as a builder, and given the plans that we’ve seen publicly I think this will be a tremendous addition to the White House complex, a sorely needed addition,” Scharf added.
The Independent has contacted the White House for comment to clarify when demolition will begin, and who approved the demolition plans.
Trump intends to use the enormous, gilded ballroom to host state dinners and other events before the end of his term in 2029.
The East Wing will be “heavily changed and reconstructed” once the new ballroom is completed, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said last month.
An interior rendering of the ballroom, provided by the White House, revealed a massive hall with ornate ceilings and chandeliers, replete with gold leaf throughout, a similar theme to how Trump has redecorated the Oval Office.
Trump, a real estate mogul turned reality TV star and politician, has relished personally overseeing improvement projects at the White House.
The Oval Office is now adorned with ostentatious splashes of pure gold leaf paint and the iconic Kennedy Rose Garden has been paved so that it resembles the patio where he entertains guests at Mar-a-Lago, his private club in Florida.
Trump has further ambitions of sprucing up D.C. The president is reportedly weighing the refurbishment and rebranding of the East Potomac Golf Links at Hains Point, a public golf course.
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