President Donald Trump added a new architect to his White House ballroom team Thursday, following disagreements with a previous project leader.
After more than three months of working with the architecture firm of James McCrery II, the White House confirmed to NOTUS that it added architect Shalom Baranes to the team. Multiple sources told The Washington Post that Baranes will replace McCrery II as project lead after he stepped back voluntarily in October.
In a statement to NOTUS, White House spokesman Davis Ingle said the addition of Baranes comes “as we begin to transition into the next stage of development … to carry out President Trump’s vision on building what will be the greatest addition to the White House since the Oval Office — the White House Ballroom.”
“Shalom is an accomplished architect whose work has shaped the architectural identity of our nation’s capital for decades and his experience will be a great asset to the completion of this project,” Ingle continued.
Baranes’ addition to the ballroom project comes after weeks of disagreements between Trump and McCrery, who argued that the size of Trump’s proposal would overshadow the main White House structure.
McCrery will remain as a “valuable consultant” on the project, a White House spokesperson told NOTUS.
“This is not a replacement but rather a passing of the baton as the project develops into new phases,” they continued.
What Trump originally proposed as a $200 million structure fit for 650 people built adjacent to the White House has now turned into a complete demolition of the East Wing and a new $300 million estimate. The building is now estimated to fit nearly 1,000 people and includes a footprint that would rival the standing White House structure.
Trump moved ahead with the construction without approval from the National Capital Planning Commission, the executive agency with jurisdiction over construction and demolition of government buildings. In October, Trump fired every member of the independent commission charged with reviewing building proposals, the Commission of Fine Arts.
Trump is expected to present the NCPC with his most recent construction plans this month, the Associated Press reported Thursday. In July, the White House fired Biden appointees from the NCPC, leaving its 12-member board to be led by Trump’s staff secretary, Will Scharf, and made up of only prominent allies.
Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal introduced a bill Thursday, titled the No Palaces Act, that would require review from the NPC “before initiating any demolition activities” and require congressional approval for privately-funded White House construction projects.
In a release, Blumenthal said the legislation “prevents future presidents from recklessly destroying historic sites like the East Wing without approval from the independent National Capital Planning Commission or consideration from Congress.”
“The guardrails in this measure will ensure future presidents cannot remake the People’s House into their personal palace,” he continued.
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