A federal appeals panel ruled Saturday that construction on a proposed White House ballroom may proceed through April 17 while the Trump administration appeals a lower court order that had halted work pending congressional authorization.
A three-judge D.C. Circuit panel, in a 2-1 decision, stayed U.S. District Judge Richard Leon’s March directive that required work to stop by April 14 “until Congress authorizes its completion.” The stay preserves the administration’s ability to seek further review, including at the Supreme Court. Leon was appointed by President George W. Bush.
The dispute stems from a lawsuit filed in December by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The White House plan calls for demolishing the East Wing, a demolition that began in October, to build a neoclassical ballroom expected to seat about 1,000 people and to cost at least $300 million.
The Trump administration has defended the project, saying the additional space is needed for large events and raising national-security reasons tied to upgrades of a World War II–era bunker beneath the site. President Trump told reporters on March 29 that the military is constructing a significant complex under the ballroom, that the ballroom would provide cover for that facility, and that high-grade bulletproof glass would be used.
The plan received approval in February from the Commission of Fine Arts, a federal advisory body that reviews D.C. construction and whose membership includes a majority of Trump appointees.
Carol Quillen, president and CEO of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, said the group was not concerned about construction continuing for an extra three days and praised the court’s prompt handling of the case. The nonprofit said it remains committed to protecting the White House’s historic character and to broad public consultation. Trump administration attorneys did not respond to an NPR request for comment.