Conservation groups are suing to block Trump’s efforts to ‘gut down’ the Kennedy Center
Several conservation groups sued Monday to block planned renovations to the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, arguing that the Trump administration plans to “rush” the center without regard to its history or conservation laws.
President Donald Trump and his hand-picked board of trustees plan to “fundamentally alter this unique building without complying with historic preservation and environmental laws, and without obtaining the necessary congressional approval,” their lawsuit said.
The lawsuit argues that time is of the essence because Trump, who named himself chairman of the board last year, has acknowledged that they have “started construction” on the site, and announced earlier this month that the facility would close temporarily on July 5 so that renovations could begin in earnest.
“Given the many public statements and actions of the Board of Trustees and Mr. Trump – which at least indicate an intention to rush the Kennedy Center to the bottom of its iron structure – a swift release and judicial success is necessary to prevent irreparable damage to the Kennedy Center and the public’s right to reasonable information and hearing before irreparable actions are taken,”
White House spokeswoman Liz Huston responded to the lawsuit in a statement, saying the president “is committed to making the Trump-Kennedy Center the best performing arts center in the world. We look forward to a final victory in this matter.”
At a March 16 board meeting, Trump said the facility would be closed for two years while a $250 million renovation was done.
“Everything is in bad shape. It has to be redone,” Trump said at the meeting.
“You have to cover it. You put in new, beautiful, beautiful marble. When you do marble, you can’t have people walking on the marble every night as it dries and sets, going to the game,” he said.
Groups, including the DC Preservation League, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and Docomomo, a group dedicated to increasing public awareness and appreciation of architecture, argue that the agency did not follow proper procedures or receive the necessary reviews for such a project, which they oppose and require congressional approval.
They are asking a federal judge to declare that the administration violated the National Environmental Policy Act, the National Historic Preservation Act and other statutes. They are also asking the judge to rule that the 2025 congressional appropriation of $256,657,000 for “necessary expenses for capital maintenance, restoration, maintenance, repairs, and security structures,” does not authorize the construction of new buildings or aesthetic changes to the Kennedy Center.
A federal judge allowed Rep. Joyce Beatty, D-Ohio, a member of the executive board, said she was present but did not vote during last week’s meeting, where she voted to close and renovate. The portion of Beatty’s suit challenging the settlement and closure remains to be resolved.
The conservation groups charge that the board has already made unauthorized changes to the site, including adding Trump’s name to the center’s inscriptions, which they describe as a “living memorial” to the late President John F. Kennedy. They want the judge to stop the administration from making irreversible changes.
“The fabric of history, once torn down, cannot be restored,” the suit says.
