President Donald Trump on Monday shared a few details of the Kennedy Center remodeling project he has championed, a major reconstruction effort that will force the storied venue to close for two years.
Speaking from the Oval Office on Monday, Trump insisted that he would not tear down the structure fully, adding that the renovations slated to start on July 4 are expected to cost around $200 million and are “fully financed.”
“I’m not ripping it down. I’ll be using the steel,” Trump continued. “So, we’re using the structure, we’re using some of the marble and some of the marble comes down. But when it’s open, it’ll be brand new and really beautiful.”
The details offer a glimpse into Trump’s intentions for a renovated Kennedy Center, which he effectively assumed quick control after starting his second term.
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A White House official told NOTUS that some of the “building maintenance” being conducted at the behest of the president includes: renovations to bring the building into “current life-safety codes,” improvements to the building’s parking structure and structural work involving heating, ventilation and air conditioning, plumbing and electrical systems and technical stage equipment.
The project will also repair and replace elements of the building’s exterior “to ensure the long-term preservation and integrity of the structure,” the official told NOTUS.
Such major renovations have not taken place since the construction of the original structure in the late 1960s. The center did see a recent expansion in 2019, with the addition of an indoor-outdoor theater. Designed by internationally acclaimed architect Steven Holl, the project was first awarded congressional approval in 2014 before undergoing four years of construction.
Announcement of the Kennedy Center’s impending closure comes after the institution’s newly installed board, which Trump stocked with allies after removing a number of its members last year, voted to add the president’s name to the center, despite the fact that congressional approval is needed to officially change its name.
The administration has also sought to shape the center’s programming, canceling LGBTQ+ performances and pulling out of the 2025 WorldPride festival.
Since the name change, a number of artists have canceled their appearances, citing the politicization of the institution.
“Performing there has become charged and political, at an institution where the focus should be on the music,” Grammy Award winner Béla Fleck said in an announcement suspending his upcoming performance. “I look forward to playing with the [National Symphony Orchestra] another time in the future when we can together share and celebrate art.”
World-renowned composer Philip Glass also canceled the premiere of his new symphony, “Lincoln,” which was set to take place at the Kennedy Center in June.
“After thoughtful consideration, I have decided to withdraw my Symphony No. 15 ‘Lincoln’ from the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts,” Glass wrote on social media last week.
“Symphony No. 15 is a portrait of Abraham Lincoln, and the values of the Kennedy Center today are in direct conflict with the message of the Symphony,” Glass continued. “Therefore, I feel an obligation to withdraw this Symphony premiere from the Kennedy Center under its current leadership.”
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