President Donald Trump’s plan to erect a massive ballroom where the White House’s historic East Wing once stood has reignited old questions about the power of the purse and new ones about an unchecked executive branch.
Trump asserts that the $300 million project for a 90,000-square-foot structure with “glass walls” will be “entirely privately funded.” Still, some experts warn the contentious project could end up costing taxpayers serious money over the years. While the president has talked of lavish state dinners and other celebrations inside the ballroom — and even a future presidential inauguration — much remains unknown about the coming building.
That includes all of the financing details, especially how much it will take to operate and maintain the sprawling structure — slated to mirror the size of an on-campus college basketball arena for a mid-major team. The nearby Charles E. Smith Center on the campus of George Washington University is around 100,000 square feet following a 2009 renovation, according to Baumann Consulting, which was heavily involved in that project.
