> At a Glance
> – The White House revealed plans for a 20,000-square-foot, 1,000-seat ballroom inside a new East Wing
> – The privately funded $400 million project will add an 89,000-square-foot, two-level wing matching the mansion’s height
> – Construction could last years, with future West Wing expansion eyed to restore symmetry
> – Why it matters: The project’s scale and fast-track approval spark legal battles and reshape how official events are hosted
The White House on Thursday publicly detailed President Donald Trump’s vision for a sweeping East Wing expansion anchored by a grand ballroom, doubling the project’s price tag to $400 million and setting up a March vote by a commission stacked with Trump allies.
The Ballroom and New Wing
Architect Shalom Baranes told the National Capital Planning Commission that the 1,000-seat ballroom will rise 40 feet-the same height as the White House itself-and sit within an 89,000-square-foot, two-level East Wing.
Baranes said the design also includes:
- A commercial-grade kitchen to replace aging facilities
- A streamlined guest entrance, eliminating temporary security trailers
- A reconfigured delivery system to ease daily operations
- Increased connectivity to reduce “ongoing operational stress” on the 1800-era building
Funding, Timeline and Legal Fights
The administration broke ground before submitting plans, prompting the National Trust for Historic Preservation to sue, arguing Congress must approve construction on federal parkland. A judge declined to block the work, and the commission-chaired by Trump staff secretary Will Scharf-is set to approve final designs in early March.
All costs are covered by private donors; Comcast Corp. is among the top contributors, though gift amounts remain undisclosed.
| Feature | Specification |
|---|---|
| Ballroom seats | 1,000 |
| Ballroom size | 20,000 sq ft |
| Wing size | 89,000 sq ft |
| Estimated cost | $400 million |
| Ceiling height | 40 ft |
Key Takeaways
- The East Wing expansion is the most significant White House construction since the 1940s
- Trump has personally driven design revisions that doubled the original budget
- Activists protested outside Thursday’s hearing, continuing opposition to the fast-track process
If approved, the new wing will host state dinners, press events and other official functions while planners already eye a matching West Wing addition to balance the complex’s silhouette.
