Trump administration says it might demolish the Kennedy Center if court blocks renovations
Justice Department lawyers say the venue is structurally unsafe and could be taken down without a two-year shutdown for repairs, citing $257 million in funding.
- Justice Department attorney Brantley T. Mayers warned in a court filing on Monday that the Kennedy Center is "structurally unsound, fundamentally unsafe, and embarrassing to the Nation's Capital" and could face demolition if not permitted to close for two years for renovations.
- The filing frames the two-year closure as essential for critical repairs including stage lifts, rigging, and electrical upgrades, contrasting with Kennedy Center Executive Director Matt Floca's recent focus on specific maintenance tasks rather than total facility shutdown.
- Rep. Joyce Beatty, D-Ohio, is challenging the Board's closure decision as rushed and lacking adequate information, while the DOJ defended the administration's planning commitment and President Trump's "unrivaled expertise and experience in real estate and construction."
- Beatty is also contesting the Trump-appointed Board's renewed effort to add Trump's name to the building this month, after a prior court ruling compelled removal of the president's name from the structure.
- A hearing scheduled for Thursday afternoon will address both the contested closure and the Board's renaming efforts, with legal disputes intensifying over the facility's future and renovation timeline.
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Kennedy Center may need to be demolished if not renovated, Trump's Justice Dept. argues
In a Monday court filing lawyers for the Justice Department argued that the Kennedy Center may need to be torn down if it doesn't receive the renovations proposed by President Trump.
Administration Threatens to Demolish Kennedy Center
The Kennedy Center's very survival is now part of a court fight over President Trump's name. In a court filing Monday, Justice Department lawyers argued that if renovations—and plans to add Trump's name to the building's facade—aren't allowed to go forward, the performing arts center may have to...
The Trump government has mentioned a possible demolition of the Kennedy Center, if justice blocks the decision of the board of directors.
Trump Administration Threatens to Demolish Kennedy Center If Renovations Are Blocked
The Hill The Trump administration has threatened to demolish the Kennedy Center if a judge determines that the renowned performing arts center cannot close for a two-year renovation. In court filings on Monday, Justice Department attorney Brantley T. Mayers repeatedly referred to the Kennedy Center as a “decrepit” structure in dire need of renovations led by the Trump administration. Mayers said without renovations, the site will “deteriorate …
This is the first time that the possibility of demolishing the Center has been raised as an extreme alternative to its closure for two years due to works.
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