President Donald Trump’s proposed triumphal arch will negatively affect nearby historic sites, but should be built anyway, according to the National Park Service.
In a new document circulated to local historic preservation groups, the agency said that, despite harm to the sites, the arch should move forward at its proposed location because that site is “central to the undertaking” of the project. The 250-foot monument is planned to be built near Arlington National Cemetery, inside D.C.’s border at Memorial Circle.
The arch’s “adverse effects cannot be fully avoided while retaining the location-dependent purpose” of the monument, the document said. Building it anywhere else would negate its intention to act as a “ceremonial gateway” in tandem with George Washington Memorial Parkway to celebrate “valor, sacrifice, and American heritage.”
The project, part of Trump’s campaign to reshape D.C., has faced legal pushback for its potential to obstruct the view of Arlington National Cemetery. In a report released last month, the National Park Service conceded that the monument is likely to disturb dozens of historic sites, including the cemetery, Arlington Memorial Bridge and the Lincoln Memorial.
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In the new document, first obtained by The Washington Post, the park service said it would mitigate the arch’s impact by creating signs and webpages explaining the monument’s purpose to the public. The agency wants local historic preservation groups to sign the document, which is an agreement cementing the proposed mitigation, as part of a federally required feedback process.
If the preservation groups sign, it will probably expedite final approval for the arch, though the Trump administration does not need their approval to move forward.
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said in a statement this month that excavation work for the arch would start by Thursday, despite an ongoing court battle mandating prior notice of construction. As of Thursday, no ground has been moved at the site.
The National Park Service did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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