Overview
- Washington’s National Capital Planning Commission voted 8–1 on Thursday to approve the 90,000‑square‑foot East Wing ballroom plan, a step the chair said covers design review but does not lift the stop‑work order.
- U.S. District Judge Richard Leon issued a preliminary injunction on Tuesday finding the president likely lacks statutory authority to build without Congress, stayed it for 14 days, and allowed only security‑necessary work as the administration appeals.
- The project, now pegged at about $400 million, follows the October demolition of the historic East Wing, with officials saying above‑ground construction would start in April but now faces a legal pause.
- Commissioners reviewed design changes before the vote, including removal of a large south staircase critics called oversized and nonfunctional and the addition of an uncovered west porch.
- The White House says private donors will fund the ballroom while public dollars cover underground security and infrastructure; a disclosed list names 37 corporate contributors as tens of thousands of public comments criticized the project’s size and process, setting up a separation‑of‑powers fight that could shift to Congress.