$400M White House Ballroom Enters Federal Review

The Daily Dig:

The Trump administration has formally presented plans for a new White House ballroom to the National Capital Planning Commission, placing the long discussed project into public federal review. The proposal outlines a permanent event space intended to replace temporary tents used for state functions. The project carries an estimated cost of $400 million and would be connected to the main White House complex by a two-story colonnade. The hearing marked the first detailed public briefing on the project’s scope, scale, and design approach.

Architect Shalom Baranes told commissioners the ballroom itself would span roughly 22,000 square feet and accommodate about 1,000 guests. The full structure would total approximately 89,000 square feet and rise to a height comparable to the main White House residence. Reuters reported that demolition work had already begun on an East Wing annex area, a point that drew attention from commissioners concerned about process and sequencing.

Project Snapshot:

• Oversight Body: National Capital Planning Commission

• Estimated Value: $400 million

• Ballroom Size: 22,000 sqft

• Total Structure Size: 89,000 sqft

• Seating Capacity: 1,000 guests

• Location: White House complex, Washington, DC

• Contractors Involved: Clark Construction & AECOM (Speculative)

• Architect: Shalom Baranes

TheJobWalk Thoughts:

This is a real project with real money behind it, not a sketch on a cocktail napkin. From a construction perspective, the design scale alone puts this firmly in “no margin for error” territory. What raised flags wasn’t the ballroom itself, but the order of operations. Federal planners generally expect review before demolition, not the other way around. That procedural tension may end up driving more discussion than the floor plan. Either way, the proposal is now on the public record. That means oversight, revisions, and a slower clock. Washington builds plenty of monuments. They just like to argue about them first.