The White House has announced plans to build a new $200m ballroom adjacent to the mansion’s East Wing, fulfilling a long-term desire of President Donald Trump. According to White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, the ballroom will be approximately 90,000 square feet with a seating capacity of 650. Most formal White House functions are currently held in the East Room, which can seat approximately 200 people.
The construction is expected to be completed “long before” the end of Trump’s term in office in January 2029. Leavitt said that the president and other donors would pay for the renovations, but declined to give details. Renderings provided by the White House show that the ballroom will be similar architecturally to the rest of the mansion.
The White House has a history of expansion to accommodate the changing needs of the nation’s chief executive. Leslie Greene Bowman, who has served under four presidents on the Committee for the Preservation of the White House, noted that the White House has undergone various transformations over the years. “The White House has a history of expansion to accommodate the changing needs of the nation’s chief executive,” she told BBC News.
The construction of the White House began in 1792, based on a design by the Irish-born architect James Hoban. Built by enslaved laborers and European craftsmen, it was first occupied by President John Adams in 1800. Since then, the White House has undergone numerous renovations and expansions, including the addition of the West Wing and the Oval Office.
In the 20th century, presidents such as Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, and Harry Truman made significant changes to the White House. Truman’s renovations, which included adding a second-floor balcony on the South Portico, were particularly extensive. Later presidents, including John F. Kennedy, Richard Nixon, and Bill Clinton, also made notable changes to the White House.
The cumulative costs of construction and renovations amount to roughly $250m in current dollar terms. The new ballroom project is significant, given the recent controversy surrounding the US Federal Reserve’s renovation project. Trump has repeatedly demanded that the Fed lower interest rates and has criticized the central bank’s chair, Jay Powell. Despite pressure from the White House, the Federal Reserve held interest rates steady at 4.25-4.50 percent on July 30.
