The ballroom project has faced stiff opposition from historic preservation groups and sections of the public.
"No president is legally allowed to tear down portions of the White House without any review whatsoever - not President Trump, not President Biden, and not anyone else," the National Trust for Historic Preservation said in its federal lawsuit.
"And no president is legally allowed to construct a ballroom on public property without giving the public the opportunity to weigh in." The case is still in litigation.
The commission's Secretary Thomas Luebke said the panel had received over 2,000 comments from the public and that they were "overwhelmingly in opposition - over 99% to this project".
Commission Vice Chairman James McCrery abstained from discussions and the vote at Thursday's meeting. His architecture firm was initially selected by Trump to handle the ballroom, but the administration switched architects on the project to Shalom Baranes.
Two new Trump-appointed members of the commission were sworn in at the start of the meeting, including Chamberlain Harris, a White House aide.
19 Comments
digitalFatteh@lemmy.ca · 15 pts · 170d
I think they would be better putting the whole thing under a Bigtop with the way things are.
P00ptart@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 169d
"it's a bullshit three ring circus sideshow of freaks"
Bustedknuckles@lemmy.world · 14 pts · 170d
It's going to be so satisfying to see it torn back down
pelespirit@sh.itjust.works · 12 pts · 170d
It is so fucking ugly and going to dwarf the rest of the white house. It will have to be torn down.
ceenote@lemmy.world · 9 pts · 170d
My guess is that it will only be partially completed by 2028 and will then be re-purposed into office spaces or something.
pelespirit@sh.itjust.works · 11 pts · 170d
It's an architect's nightmare. Fr, they're going to have to fix it. It's the symbol of America. They might do other things, but keeping it as is, is not really an option.
FaceDeer@fedia.io · 2 pts · 170d
"It's the symbol of America" applies to whatever Trump builds, too.
pelespirit@sh.itjust.works · 4 pts · 170d
Usually, countries don't keep their shame on display.
FaceDeer@fedia.io · 1 pts · 170d
Maybe they should.
pelespirit@sh.itjust.works · 3 pts · 170d
That's a memorial, not the symbol on our money.
FaceDeer@fedia.io · 6 pts · 170d
Assuming it doesn't have to be torn down simply due to the shoddy construction that resulted from Trump skimming as much money off of the project as possible, leaving only dregs for the actual contractors.
Gurei@sh.itjust.works · 5 pts · 169d
Funny to assume he'll pay his contractors.
AlDente@sh.itjust.works · 8 pts · 169d
It's not a ballroom project, that's just the cover. The real project is a nuclear hardened underground command and control datacenter. The same guy who lead the Pentagon hardening projects after 9/11 (Shalom Baranes) was chosen as the designer, and the contractor specializes in classified datacenter projects.
https://thedreydossier.substack.com/p/trump-isnt-building-a-ballroom
FauxLiving@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 169d
The PEOC (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Presidential_Emergency_Operations_Center)has existed under the East Wing since WWII.
I'm sure they'll do work on it (especially if Trump can get a kickback for giving the contract to a corrupt contractor) but it isn't a new addition.
AlDente@sh.itjust.works · 2 pts · 169d
Understood. The original PEOC was build with 1940s tech, and has surely been upgraded along the way. But this project is not about a ballroom.
When the initial ballroom news was spread, Trump bragged about hiring a prominent classical architect, James McCrery, known for designing large cathedrals and civic sites. Then after everyone ate up the ballroom story, he was fired and replaced with a bomb-shelter designer.
The budget and specifications involved with this project just happen to match those of deep underground military data centers recently built in Israel. These sister sites host military AI programs, like the Palentir software that chooses who gets drone striked.
The DC power grid capacity is being increased 500% and additional $300 million is being invested into DC water infrastructure, all for a "ballroom".
Project funding is coming from private donations, bypassing Congressional oversight. Caterpillar, Microsoft, Amazon, Google, Palantir, and Blackstone are all major contributors, some outright donating data center power and cooling hardware in addition to funding.
No, I don't believe this is a ballroom project with some side renovations to an existing emergency shelter. This is a privately funded military AI datacenter, using the ballroom demolition as cover for the excavations necessary to bury it under the White House.
MushuChupacabra@piefed.world · 7 pts · 170d
Trump-appointed panel approves Jeffrey Epstein Memorial Ballroom project.
switcheroo@lemmy.world · 6 pts · 169d
And guess who's paying for that bullshit.
I can't wait for this nightmare to be over and we have to bulldoze the fucking White House to remove the stench of that nasty pedo rapist felon...
AlDente@sh.itjust.works · 1 pts · 169d
We're paying for the general infrastructure upgrades around the DC area to support the 400-million-dollar military AI datacenter. But ultimately, this project under the ballroom is being privately financed by the likes of Microsoft, Google, and Palentir, whom will surely want some influence over how it is used.
https://thedreydossier.substack.com/p/trump-isnt-building-a-ballroom
HubertManne@piefed.social · 3 pts · 169d
Whats really annoying is if we get through this the next pres will have to massively fire these sycophants and get professionals back in and the republicans are going to be. See its all the same they did just like us. Ugh the republicans in my state are blaming the economy on the govenor. eff the right off.