Cultural heritage and architectural organizations have urged a federal court to force the Trump administration to complete proper environmental review of the president’s plans for a dramatic remodel of the Kennedy Center for the Performing Acts.
The lawsuit, filed Monday in federal court in Washington, follows statements by President Donald Trump that he could take the building “down to the steel,” said the National Trust for Historic Preservation and other groups behind the legal challenge.
Starting July 4, the Kennedy Center will close for two years for the work to begin. The groups said they could not hesitate to sue, after the administration last year completed a surprise demolition of the White House’s East Wing to make room for Trump’s massive ballroom.
“The Kennedy Center is a historically significant architectural icon and a performance venue beloved by millions of Americans. We’re concerned that, as with the White House East Wing, the potential scope of planned changes is understated and will result in irreparable loss,” said Carol Quillen, president and CEO of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, in a statement.
