A 3D rendering of the soon-to-be ballroom in the East Wing of the White House.

During this recent government shut down, plans for a new ballroom in the East Wing of the White House have been enacted. This construction was proposed by President Donald J. Trump due to the lack of accommodation the previous meeting squares had. Despite this monumental change to the East Wing, the first change since 1942 following its construction of the second floor, this new ballroom is estimated to cost about $200 million.  

The East wing, added in 1942, was originally built to hide the construction of an underground bunker created during World War II. Earlier versions of the wing existed in the 19th century, but they served mostly as temporary or ceremonial spaces. The modern East Wing took shape under first lady Eleanor Roosevelt, who used it to expand public tours and staff functions. In the decade that followed, it became the formal workplace of the first lady and her staff, as well as the public entrance for most visitors. Today, the East Wing houses the First Lady’s office and supports, social, ceremonial, and guest-management operations.

This major construction to a 150 year old building has some debate. According to AP News, Trump said that this will be funded by private donations, but no news has been shared of who has donated and how much is going to be donated. AP News also mentions that Trump has had a private dinner with all the donors. This secretive amount of money being pushed towards the construction has raised a lot of concerns, mainly around the people struggling with the government shutdown. Although the shutdown has been lifted, the struggles are still staying until all bills are passed. SNAP benefits and government workers were all impacted by the now ceased shut down. 

According to the White House, Trump chose McCrery Architects for this construction. The construction process started in September of this year. This new ballroom will be 90,000 square feet, holding up to 650 people. This is largely different to the large tent previously used for functions with foreign leaders, only holding around 200 people. 

Despite this tremendous amount of time it will take to be completed, 3D models show an elegant white room. This task of recreating the unique structure of the White House has been a constant struggle with McCrery Architects. On the other hand, the President has placed plenty of faith in the company in hopes for a successful ballroom.