Photo Credit: Vincent Y @USA
A group of cultural and historic preservation organizations is suing Donald Trump to block changes to the Kennedy Center ahead of renovations.
Now that Donald Trump’s planned two-year closure of the Kennedy Center has been confirmed to kick off this summer, a coalition of cultural and historic preservation groups is suing the president and Kennedy Center officials to block further physical alterations to the storied performing arts venue.
“Demolition, new construction, major reconstruction, major renovation, or major aesthetic transformation of the Kennedy Center would permanently destroy historic fabric, degrade the monumental core’s vistas and public grounds, and compromise the Kennedy Center’s memorial purpose and architectural integrity, causing permanent, irreversible harm that no subsequent remedy can fully undo,” the filing asserts.
The lawsuit doesn’t dispute the need for routine repairs, but argues that major renovations Trump has alluded to need to go through the typical review process to which such projects in the nation’s capital are beholden. According to Trump, the proposed changes to the Kennedy Center could be so significant that the steel supporting the structure could be “fully exposed.”
“We look forward to ultimate victory on the issue,” said Liz Huston, a spokesperson for the White House, reiterating Trump’s prior remarks on the project and noting that the president is “committed to making the Trump-Kennedy Center the finest performing arts facility in the world.”
The Associated Press points out that some of the attorneys involved in the lawsuit have also pursued separate cases that challenge other recent moves by Trump. These include his sudden decision last year to knock down the East Wing of the White House to make room for a ballroom. This is illustrated in the Kennedy Center suit, with lawyers noting the president’s “broader pattern of unauthorized damage to historic buildings in the capital district.” It’s worth noting that a judge rejected the ballroom suit last month.
Trump didn’t seem too concerned with the Kennedy Center during his first term, but his fixation on the venue during his second term has been tremendous. Only a month after his return to office, he booted the center’s previous leadership and installed a hand-picked board of loyalists that immediately named him chairman.
The board also announced a decision to rename the venue to the “Trump-Kennedy Center,” physically adding the president’s name to the building’s facade. This change has been derided by both lawmakers and scholars, who insist such a move must be initiated by Congress in order to be legal.
Numerous artists have walked away from the Kennedy Center in the fallout, including Bela Fleck, Ben Folds, Renee Fleming, and the executive director of the National Symphony Orchestra.
