Photo: Alamy
President Donald Trump announced Monday that construction has started on a new ballroom on the White House grounds, marking the most significant structural addition to the executive residence in decades.
“Ground has been broken on the White House grounds to build the new, big, beautiful White House Ballroom,” Trump posted on Truth Social. “Completely separate from the White House itself, the East Wing is being fully modernized as part of this process, and will be more beautiful than ever when it is complete!”
The ambitious project will replace the historic East Wing, which was originally built in 1902 and expanded in subsequent years. The new 90,000-square-foot facility is designed to host state visits, large formal gatherings and high-profile events. The estimated cost exceeds $250 million, with funding pledged by Trump and a group of major corporate donors.
“For more than 150 years, every President has dreamt about having a Ballroom at the White House to accommodate people for grand parties, State Visits, etc. I am honored to be the first President to finally get this much-needed project underway — with zero cost to the American Taxpayer!” Trump wrote.
Officials say the new venue will significantly outsize the current East Room, which accommodates roughly 200 guests, and will be built adjacent to traditional White House structures but technically detached.
Construction crews began demolition activity on Monday at the East Wing, observed breaking down facade elements and windows of the century-old structure.
Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said when the project was unveiled in July that the East Wing would be modernized while preserving the residence’s overall architectural character.
No formal completion timeline has been publicly confirmed beyond the expectation that it will be finished before Trump’s term ends in January 2029.
The president has also revealed plans to build an arch at the Lincoln Memorial as a grand entrance into Washington, D.C.
“It’s going to be really beautiful. I think it’s going to be fantastic,” Trump said, holding up models of the arch during an event earlier this month. “There’s a rendering of what it will look like. You have three sizes.”