Trump Says White House Ballroom Exempt from Permitting, Zoning Rules

President Trump has reportedly told crews working on the new White House ballroom to ignore permitting and zoning rules, writes Ariana Baio in The Independent. 

Since the project was announced, the scope of the ballroom has ballooned — its capacity has grown from 650 to 900, the cost has gone up from $250 million to $350 million, and its construction famously required the demolition of the East Wing.

“The architectural firms involved with the ballroom project told NYT they are following industry standards,” Baio adds. Yet many of the plans are moving forward rapidly, with many changes made since the original design was made public. 

In October, the President fired all six members of the Commission of Fine Arts, “an independent agency established to give expert advice to the president on design and aesthetic matters.” According to Baio, “The president also fired Biden appointees on the National Capital Planning Commission, the agency required to review construction projects in the nation’s capital.”