The Trump administration announced Thursday one of the largest expansions to the White House since the Truman Balcony in 1948, seeking to add a ballroom capable of hosting events to the East Wing.
Currently, the White House is limited to hosting large events with foreign leaders and other nations in the East Room or in a tent approximately 100 yards away outside the main building. The president’s $200 million project will see the construction of a new state ballroom intended to modernize the East Wing and provide expanded capacity for official events.
The project will be privately funded by the president and other private anonymous donors, according to White House officials.
The ballroom project includes plans for a 90,000 square-foot space designed to hold large events and host 650 people, which is more than the White House’s current largest space, the East Room. The room’s interior will feature grand white and gold walls and trim with large windows throughout. The project will also collaborate with the U.S. Secret Service to retrofit the structure with security enhancements and modifications.
White House officials have indicated that the construction of the ballroom will not alter or interfere with historic rooms at the residence and that the space will eventually host everything from state dinners and press galas to bipartisan events and cultural celebrations.
The federal government has already secured firms to cover the project’s engineering, architectural services and construction. Administration officials expect the project to be completed by the end of 2029.
The ballroom will join several of the president’s active and ongoing renovation projects at the White House, including at the Rose Garden, the Oval Office and the installation of large flagpoles on two lawns.
