WASHINGTON – A coalition of historic preservation and architecture groups will ask a judge on April 29 to halt plans by US President Donald Trump’s administration for a major renovation of the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, marking the latest clash over Mr Trump’s legal authority to reshape Washington.
US District Judge Christopher Cooper in Washington will hold a hearing at 10am Eastern Time (10pm Singapore time) to consider issuing a preliminary injunction in a lawsuit filed in March by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the American Institute of Architects and six other groups.
The groups contend Mr Trump and the Kennedy Center’s board lack the legal authority to proceed with their construction plans on the famed performing arts venue without US congressional approval and mandatory regulatory review.
“It is a city upon a hill. It should not – and by federal law cannot – be demolished or overhauled in secret or at lightning speed, and certainly not at the executive’s personal whim,” the plaintiffs told Mr Cooper.
The judge has allowed the preservation groups and the Trump administration to question Mr Matthew Floca, the Trump-appointed executive director of the Kennedy Center.
Mr Trump’s plan to renovate the centre, which he has already rebranded to include his name in its title and affixed to the building, is part of the Republican leader’s broader push to reshape Washington’s monumental core.
He also intends to erect a 76m arch and build a 8,360 sq m ballroom at the site of the demolished East Wing of the White House.
Those other efforts are also facing court challenges. A federal appeals court has allowed the Trump administration to move ahead with building the ballroom as it considers the case.
In the Kennedy Center lawsuit, the administration told Mr Cooper in a court filing that the planned work is limited to the existing buildings and grounds, and that Congress in 2025 effectively authorised the project by appropriating US$256.7 million (S$327 million) for renovation.
The plaintiffs contend the appropriation was limited to “necessary expenses for capital repair, restoration, maintenance backlog and security structures”.
In 2025, Mr Trump said the Kennedy Center, dedicated as a memorial to former Democratic president John F. Kennedy, was in “tremendous disrepair”. REUTERS