The White House announced Thursday that it will begin the construction of the “White House State Ballroom,” a major new addition to the presidential complex aimed at addressing long-standing space limitations for official events.The $200 million project, funded by US President Donald Trump and private donors, is set to begin in September and will be built on the site of the current East Wing—a structure originally constructed in 1902 and later modified.Spanning approximately 90,000 square feet, the ballroom will seat up to 650 guests, more than triple the capacity of the current East Room.Construction is expected to be completed before the end of Trump’s current term.“For 150 years, Presidents, Administrations, and White House Staff have longed for a large event space on the White House complex that can hold substantially more guests than currently allowed,” the White House said in a statement. “President Donald J Trump has expressed his commitment to solving this problem on behalf of future Administrations and the American people.”Currently, major functions are hosted under temporary tents set up about 100 yards from the main building. The new permanent structure will eliminate the need for such installations while maintaining architectural consistency with the historic residence.“The White House is one of the most beautiful and historic buildings in the world, yet the White House is currently unable to host major functions honouring world leaders and other countries without having to install a large and unsightly tent approximately 100 yards away from the main building entrance”, the statement said.“The White House Ballroom will be substantially separated from the main building of the White House, but at the same time, it’s theme and architectural heritage will be almost identical,” it added.Trump has held meetings with officials from the White House staff, national park service, White House military office, and the US secret service to finalise the design and planning. The US secret service will provide security enhancements.The project will be led by McCrery Architects, a Washington-based firm known for its classical design work. “I am honoured that President Trump has entrusted me to help bring this beautiful and necessary renovation to The People’s House,” said CEO Jim McCrery. Clark Construction will serve as the general contractor, with AECOM heading the engineering team.“President Trump is a builder at heart and has an extraordinary eye for detail,” the statement said, citing White House chief of staff Susie Wiles. “The President and the Trump White House are fully committed to working with the appropriate organisations to preserve the special history of the White House.”
