The Kennedy Center Board of Trustees voted in support of President Donald Trump’s plan to close the Kennedy Center for “approximately two years” to carry out a major reconstruction project and radically reshape the storied arts institution.
The board, which met Monday morning, announced that the vote was unanimous in a public statement.
“The Board’s decision to temporarily pause operations will allow for the most comprehensive and efficient renovation effort, setting the stage for a revitalized National Cultural and Entertainment Complex for all Americans to enjoy,” the statement read.
The board’s membership is made up nearly entirely of Trump-appointed allies after the president fired the previous board soon after assuming office last year.
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Trump secured $257 million from Congress to “address decades of deferred maintenance,” according to the release.
Ex officio member Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse protested by boycotting the meeting, which he called “a sham.” Another ex officio member, Rep. Joyce Beatty, was granted a “meaningful opportunity” to engage in Monday’s meeting by a federal judge over the weekend — though she was denied permission to vote.
No details about the reconstruction plans were announced on Monday, but a White House official previously told NOTUS the slated renovations focused on modernizing the building’s heating and cooling systems to be up to code.
Trump announced the renovations in early February, after weeks of artist cancellations stemming from his decision to add his name to the Kennedy Center’s marquee. The cancellations added to a year of struggling ticket sales under Trump’s new leadership.
Beatty had filed a lawsuit in December in opposition to the renaming, which was introduced to the board without prior congressional approval. She amended her lawsuit in recent months asking the court to halt Trump’s construction while her litigation is ongoing, and grant her a vote on the matter, which she is not entitled to as an ex officio member of the board.
Beatty had initially written to the court last week saying she had not been invited to Monday’s meeting, but amended her filing to say that the notice had gone to her spam folder.
Trump celebrated the renovations in a series of public remarks following the White House meeting, saying that preparations were already underway.
“We’ve already purchased a lot of the marble and things that are hard to get,” Trump said from the White House on Monday. “The seating is the highest level, everything is the highest level.”
“It’s on time, on budget, it’s [actually] under budget,” Trump added. “It’ll be under budget other than we’ve upgraded it in terms of the marbles we’re using. We’re using onyx and stones that are incredible.”
Regarding the art institution’s multiple theater halls, Trump said “they are in bad shape but when they’re completed, the bones are potentially something that could be unbelievable.”
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