Preservation Groups Sue Trump Administration Over Planned Renovation of Kennedy Center
Eight preservation organizations sued the Trump administration over plans to close Washington, D.C.’s Kennedy Center for two years for renovations, arguing the project threatens a major modernist landmark and should undergo required federal reviews. The Kennedy Center board approved the two-year closure last week, set to begin after July 4 celebrations tied to the United States’ 250th anniversary, while President Donald Trump said in February that the building is “tired, broken, and dilapidated.” Filed in US District Court for the District of Columbia, the lawsuit seeks to halt closure and renovation until review by the National Capital Planning Commission and the Commission of Fine Arts and compliance with the National Historic Preservation Act and National Environmental Policy Act, plus Congressional approval for any renovations. Plaintiffs include the DC Preservation League, National Trust for Historic Preservation, American Institute of Architects, American Society of Landscape Architects, Docomomo, Society of Architectural Historians, Committee of 100 on the Federal City, and the Cultural Landscape Foundation; defendants listed include the Kennedy Center board, Trump (as board chair), and agencies such as the Smithsonian Institution and the Department of the Interior led by Secretary Douglas J. Burgum.
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This story was covered in Restitution Shockwaves and Museums Under Pressure