Washington — A coalition of cultural and historic preservation groups is suing to prevent further physical changes to the Kennedy Center before a Close for two years That boss Donald Trump He insists it’s necessary to renovate the landmark performing arts venue.
The lawsuit, filed against Trump, the Kennedy Center and others in the administration, does not negate the need for routine maintenance and repairs. But she believes the more fundamental changes Trump hinted at are in the works would have to go through the typical review process that governs many major projects in the nation’s capital.
Trump suggested that the changes at the Kennedy Center could be so dramatic that the steel supporting the structure could be “ Fully exposed“.
“Demolition, new construction, major reconstruction, major renovation, or major aesthetic transformation of the Kennedy Center would permanently destroy the historic fabric, degrade the Center’s monumental vistas and public lands, and impair the Kennedy Center’s memorial purpose and architectural integrity, causing permanent and irreversible damage that no subsequent remedy could fully undo,” the suit says.
Representatives for the White House and Kennedy Center did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Some of the lawyers involved in the lawsuit filed Monday have filed separate legal cases challenging other moves by Trump to alter the historic core of Washington, including his decision last year to abruptly demolish the East Wing of the White House to make way for a ballroom. In the lawsuit against the Kennedy Center, attorneys pointed to a “broader pattern of unauthorized damage to historic buildings in the D.C. area.”
judge unacceptable The ballroom sued last month, ruling it was unlikely to succeed on the merits.
After ignoring the Kennedy Center for most of his first term, Trump exerted enormous influence over the place during his return to office. Just one month into his second term Deposed He replaced the center’s previous leadership and replaced it with a carefully selected board of trustees who appointed him as president. He appointed Richard Grenell to serve as president, a position he held until last week when Matt Floca took over.
The center’s lineup has included more Trump-friendly programming, serving as a venue for events like the premiere of First Lady Melania Trump’s documentary, “Melania.”
The council also announced it had renamed the facility the Trump Kennedy Center, a change scholars and lawmakers say should be initiated by Congress, and effectively added the president’s name to the facade of the building.
The fallout from the arts community was swift and intense. actor issa ray, Musician Béla Fleck and composer Louise Penny were among several artists who pulled out of the show, while consultants such as musician Ben Folds and singer Renée Fleming resigned. Earlier this month, National Symphony Orchestra executive director Jan Davidson left to head the Los Angeles-based Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts.