A federal judge is expected to deliver his ruling this month on whether the construction of President Donald Trump’s $400 million White House ballroom can continue after a historic preservation group challenged the project in court.
The ruling could come just before the National Capital Planning Commission, the central planning agency of the federal government, plans to vote on the project. The 12-member commission, the majority of whom are Trump-appointed allies, will hold the public hearing on March 5.
But the judge's verdict won't be the end of the saga.
“I know it will be appealed. Whichever side wins, the other side will appeal,” said U.S. District Court Judge Richard J. Leon last month. “So this case is going to go to the DC Circuit, for certain, and, maybe, perhaps even to the Supreme Court. Who knows?”
At issue is a lawsuit the National Trust for Historic Preservation filed in December against Trump and several federal agencies, asking to halt construction on the 90,000-square-foot ballroom. The non-profit group argued that Trump should have sought Congress's authorization before the demolition of the East Wing.
