White House ballroom planners propose second story over historic colonnade, new visitors center

Planners developing a massive ballroom on the East side of the White House want to expand the project to include other additions and amenities, among them a second story on the West Wing colonnade and a new visitors center.

The proposed changes were pitched Thursday at the National Capital Planning Commission, where for the first time new images for a 22,000-square-foot ballroom were unveiled and White House planners defended the decision in October to demolish the entire East Wing.

“As we look at this, it’s not just the East Wing modernization, it’s not the ballroom,” said Joshua Fisher, White House director of management and administration. “We are looking at a totality experience for the White House complex.”

The architectural firm Shalom Baranes Associates took over the ballroom project in November.

On Thursday, Shalom Baranes outlined the preliminary plans for the ballroom, which will include a lower level for the offices of the first lady, a movie theater and an upper level ballroom that can seat 1,000 people. The ballroom will have ceilings soaring to 40 feet and massive windows.

Mr. Baranes said the new, two-floor East Wing will be connected to the White House by a two-story colonnade. The two East Wing floors and colonnade will measure a combined 89,000 square feet.

He said the firm will soon propose adding a matching, second story to the current historic colonnade that connects the West Wing to the White House.

The walkway, bordering the Rose Garden and pictured regularly in presidential photos, was built along with the West Wing in 1903 during Theodore Roosevelt’s presidency.

Mr. Baranes said adding a second story to the West Wing colonnade would “serve to restore a sense of symmetry around the original central pavilion.”

Mr. Fisher said the renovations will go beyond the ballroom and will include “a superior, more efficient visitor security screening center,” as well as a beautification of Lafayette Park, which is across the street from the White House. He said the Secret Service and National Park Service will submit plans for those projects in the next few weeks.

The White House’s lack of a ballroom, and the use of a labyrinth of security trailers for screening visitors, have led a succession of presidents to weigh new additions.

State functions for more than 200 people must be held in white tents on the White House lawn, accompanied by portable toilets.

But when President Trump announced his plans to privately fund and build a massive ballroom, and then demolished the East Wing to make room for the project, Democrats and other detractors pounced.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation filed a federal lawsuit seeking to block construction of the ballroom. It argued that Mr. Trump violated federal law by not submitting plans for review.

The administration argued that because the East Room was on White House grounds, it had the final say on the project.

A federal judge last year ruled that the ballroom project can move forward as long as the White House goes through the standard review process. Justice Department lawyers said they would follow through with the necessary commissions.

Thursday’s presentation to the National Capital Planning Commission meeting was relatively perfunctory. The commission is led White House Staff Secretary Will Scharf, who has also served as one of Mr. Trump’s personal attorneys.

D.C. Council Chair Phil Mendelson, a member of the commission, said he is concerned about the size of the new East Wing. At nearly 90,000 square feet, the planned structure would be considerably larger than the historic White House main residence, which is 55,000 square feet.

“I’m concerned about this addition overwhelming the original historic building,” Mr. Mendelson said.

Mr. Baranes’ firm rebuilt the Wilson Building, where the D.C. Council meets, and Mr. Mendelson said he “has really good taste with regard to dealing with historic structures.” But he asked if the height could be lowered and the footprint reduced.

“Maybe it can be and needs to be shrunk a little bit more,” Mr. Mendelson said.

The commission spent little time discussing the demolition of the East Wing, despite the outrage it provoked among critics who complained Mr. Trump destroyed a historic building.

Mr. Fisher said the East Wing, built in 1942, had “numerous structural deficiencies and compliance issues,” including chronic water intrusion, accelerated deterioration and mold contamination, and obsolete electrical wiring. The building did not comply with regulations to accommodate those with disabilities or Secret Service security requirements, Mr. Fisher said.

Mr. Scharf said the ballroom construction is long overdue.

“When the president of the United States of America flies to the United Kingdom, he’s hosted at Windsor Castle. And when, next year, the king of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland comes to the United States, more likely than not, he will be hosted in a tent on the South Lawn with Porta Potties,” he said. “That, to me, is not a good look for the United States of America.”