Federal Judge Hears Challenge to Kennedy Center Restoration Plans

Clear Facts

• Historic preservation groups are asking a federal judge to halt planned renovations at the Kennedy Center ahead of the scheduled July 6 project launch
• The Trump-appointed board unanimously approved $257 million in renovations including repairs to decades of water damage and deterioration
• President Trump added his name to the center’s facade and was named chairman by the new board of trustees

A coalition of cultural and historic preservation groups asked U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper on Wednesday to block planned renovations at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. The groups requested a preliminary injunction to prevent construction ahead of the scheduled July 6 project launch.

Attorney Greg Werkheiser argued after the hearing that preservation laws address a fundamental question about protecting properties that define the American experience. The groups expressed concern that the president and the center’s board of trustees might bypass historic preservation rules designed to maintain the building’s integrity.

Justice Department attorneys, representing President Trump and the board, countered that the administration’s plans are limited in scope and well within the board’s authority. They maintained that no additional approvals were necessary for the proposed work.

After returning to the White House, President Trump restructured the center’s leadership, appointing a new board of allies who named him chairman. The building’s facade was updated to read: “The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts.” The decision sparked criticism from some in the arts community.

The Trump-appointed board unanimously approved the renovations earlier this year. The project includes a planned two-year closure to complete extensive repairs.

Matt Floca, the center’s executive director and former facilities manager elevated to the Trump-selected board, testified that the renovations address decades of accumulated wear and tear. He specifically mentioned extensive water damage to a section of the building staff had nicknamed “the swamp.”

“The most efficient and effective way to complete the magnitude of projects we need to complete is to close the center,” Floca said.

Attorneys for the preservation groups questioned the claimed limited scope of the project. They cited President Trump’s statements about plans to “fully expose” the building’s steel skeleton.

Justice Department attorney Yaakov Roth dismissed those concerns as exaggerated.

“There’s no risk that there will be unilateral changes … that we’ll wake up and the building will be gone,” Roth said.

The hearing followed a separate proceeding the previous day regarding the center’s future. Rep. Joyce Beatty, D-Ohio, has filed her own lawsuit to stop the renovations in her capacity as an ex officio board member. Judge Cooper is overseeing both cases.

The Kennedy Center litigation is part of broader disputes over changes to historical landmarks in the nation’s capital since Trump returned to office last year. The White House demolished its East Wing to make room for a proposed $400 million ballroom, though construction has been halted by a judge pending ongoing litigation. President Trump has also proposed a 250-foot triumphal arch to commemorate the nation’s 250th anniversary.

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