President Donald Trump's planned $300 million, 90,000-square-foot White House ballroom, which drew national attention after he ordered the East Wing demolished to make room for it, will have its fate decided by the National Capital Planning Commission, a little-known federal panel led by several of his allies.
The White House has pledged to submit blueprints for the addition to the commission, which is chaired by Will Scharf, the White House staff secretary appointed by Trump in July, The Washington Post reported Tuesday.
The panel also includes two other White House officials, James Blair and Stuart Levenbach, along with two members appointed by the District of Columbia, Arrington Dixon and Linda K. Argo.
The commission's ex officio members, who typically send representatives rather than attend meetings themselves, include War Secretary Pete Hegseth, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, Acting General Services Administrator Michael Rigas, Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, and D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson.
While Trump's appointees and political allies hold a majority of the seats, several other commissioners are career officials who have served under multiple administrations.
"I am excited that this commission will have, I believe, a productive role in this ballroom project," Scharf said at a September meeting.
"I think it's one of the most exciting construction projects in the modern history of the District," he added.
The commission's next meeting is set for Nov. 6 but it could be delayed if the government shutdown continues.
The panel typically reviews routine federal projects such as park renovations and military facilities, but the ballroom proposal marks one of the most high-profile undertakings in its 101-year history.
Two commissioners, speaking on condition of anonymity, said some members worry that Trump's reputation for punishing those who challenge him could stifle open debate about the project's design and scope.
The ballroom project, announced three months ago, surged into public view after demolition crews tore down the East Wing last week.
Photos of the teardown drew sharp criticism from historians and preservation groups, who said the president acted without sufficient oversight.
The administration dismissed the backlash as "manufactured outrage" from political opponents.
Scharf has said the commission's authority covers construction, not demolition. But several current and former commissioners said past administrations typically waited for NCPC approval before beginning work, including for two White House projects in the past decade.
The National Park Service, which manages the White House grounds, normally oversees such renovations.
However, one commissioner said the Park Service has been largely excluded from planning for the ballroom, with decisions "being made by a single person at the highest level."
Former NCPC Chair Teri Hawks Goodmann, appointed by former President Joe Biden, criticized the decision to proceed without review. "It's bad form not to have reviewed the project ahead of demolition," she said, adding that the lack of transparency undermines public trust.
The proposed ballroom would nearly double the size of the executive mansion and hold up to 1,000 guests.
Some commissioners see the project as a way to expand hosting capacity for dignitaries, while others question whether such a large addition is warranted.
The NCPC has occasionally found itself in political disputes.
A decade ago, Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., used the panel to challenge the design of the Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial.
During Trump's first term, his allies on the commission raised objections to renovations at the Federal Reserve's headquarters.
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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