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Trump administration threatens to demolish Kennedy Center if $250m renovation isn't done

From The Guardian · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified In the courts
  • Donald Trump's administration warned in a court filing that the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts could be demolished if a $250 million renovation is not completed.
  • Lawyers for the president argued the national arts complex must undergo repairs or risk facing the wrecking ball, with a potential replacement being an outdoor amphitheater.
  • The threat emerged as part of a legal battle over Trump's attempt to put his name on the Kennedy Center, following a previous court ruling that only Congress can change its name.

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts faces a stark ultimatum: undergo a $250 million renovation or risk demolition, according to a court filing by the Trump administration. Lawyers for the president argued that without the necessary repairs, the national arts complex in Washington D.C. would deteriorate into an unsafe structure, potentially necessitating its demolition and replacement with a new outdoor amphitheater.

Without those efforts, the ⁠Center will deteriorate further into an unsafe, decrepit structure that will be required to be taken down, with a determination to follow on what to ​build on the site, such as a large outdoor amphitheater overlooking the Potomac River that has been proposed, by some, for many years.

— Lawyers for the US presidentArguing for the necessity of renovations at the Kennedy Center in a court filing.

This drastic warning marks the first time the administration has publicly raised the prospect of tearing down the iconic venue as an alternative to a two-year closure for improvements. Such a move would likely ignite significant legal challenges, protests, and outrage from historic preservation advocates. The threat surfaces amidst a broader dispute over President Trump's efforts to affix his name to the memorial dedicated to the 35th U.S. president.

The John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Restored and Renovated by President Donald J Trump.

— Kennedy Center boardThe proposed new signage for the building after a board vote.

The administration's filing was a response to a legal challenge by Democratic congresswoman Joyce Beatty, who sought to prevent Trump's name from being restored to the building's facade. A federal judge had previously ruled that only Congress has the authority to alter the Kennedy Center's name. However, the center's board, now largely comprised of Trump appointees, recently voted to add "Restored and Renovated by President Donald J Trump" to the signage and name the grounds the "President Donald J Trump Plaza," arguing this acknowledges his role without violating the court's injunction.

The Donald J Trump and John F Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts

— Kennedy Center facadeThe previous altered signage that led to a lawsuit.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by The Guardian in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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