White House: Trump’s 90,000-square-foot ballroom project is being halted by a lawsuit from preservationists

White House: According to Al Jazeera, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, a nonprofit organization in Washington, has filed a lawsuit to halt the Trump administration’s plans to build a large new ballroom attached to the east wing of the White House.

Al Jazeera reports that the lawsuit, which was filed on Friday, focuses on a planned 90,000-square-foot addition to the White House complex, one of US President Donald Trump’s main restoration projects.

The renovation has long been criticized by preservationists, who claim that it changes the building’s historic character and that the administration did not adhere to the correct evaluation processes. But this is the first official legal attempt to stop the building.

Carol Quillen, president of the National Trust, described the White House as “one of the most significant symbols of American ideals,” and said that the organization felt compelled to step in.

According to Al Jazeera, she said, “The National Trust was compelled to file this case as the group responsible for safeguarding places where our history unfolded.”

Numerous infractions are alleged in the case, including the administration’s failure to acquire legislative clearance for building inside a federal park, submit construction plans to the National Capital Planning Commission, and conduct an environmental assessment.

According to Al Jazeera, it also contends that the administration’s activities are in violation of the property clause of the US Constitution, which gives Congress control over government property.

In earlier letters to the National Park Service, the Commission of Fine Arts, and the National Capital Planning Commission, the Trust had requested a halt to building.

According to Al Jazeera, the Trump administration has not addressed the case, but authorities have insisted that the project conforms with the law.

Steven Cheung, the director of White House communications and a Trump staffer, disparaged the National Trust in October, calling it “run by a bunch of loser Democrats and liberal donors playing political games.”

With a real estate experience, President Trump is a fervent supporter of the ballroom project.

In October, demolition of a portion of the east wing started. Up from the originally stated 650 seats, the new ballroom is anticipated to accommodate up to 1,000 people.

According to Al Jazeera, the government says private donors are supporting the project, which has increased its anticipated cost from USD 200 million to USD 300 million.

If finished, the ballroom will significantly expand the building’s existing 55,000-square-foot size and constitute the biggest physical alteration to the White House during Trump’s presidency.

The addition, according to critics, would overtake the existing east and west wings, whose sizes haven’t altered much since the early 1800s.