Washington’s iconic Kennedy Center could eventually face the wrecking ball if its deteriorating condition isn’t addressed, according to a new Justice Department court filing defending the Trump administration’s sweeping renovation plans.
The filing says President Donald Trump has secured $258 million from Congress for capital restoration while assembling a new group of private donors to help finance an endowment for the performing arts center.
The alternative could be drastic.
Justice Department attorneys warned that without major repairs, the Kennedy Center could continue deteriorating until it becomes an ‘unsafe, decrepit structure’ that ultimately has to be torn down.
And there’s already an idea for what could replace it.
The filing references a proposal for a large outdoor amphitheater overlooking the Potomac River, which officials acknowledged would be cheaper and easier to build, operate and maintain.
There’s just one problem: The administration says such a replacement would ‘fail to adequately honor’ President John F. Kennedy.
That is why the Trump administration is pushing ahead with an extensive two-year renovation rather than abandoning the existing landmark.
The work goes far beyond cosmetic changes. Plans reportedly include major repairs and upgrades to the building’s electrical infrastructure, heating and cooling systems, fire-safety equipment, stages and persistent water leaks. The project is expected to continue through 2028.
But the renovation has now become another political and legal fight in Washington.
Democratic Rep. Joyce Beatty of Ohio, an ex officio member of the Kennedy Center board, has sued over actions by the board under Trump. Her case seeks to block Trump-related naming changes at the center, adding another front to the battle over the institution’s future.
The administration argues that Trump’s involvement has brought desperately needed money and attention to a building facing serious maintenance problems.
The court filing makes the stakes unusually clear.
Restore the Kennedy Center now, the administration argues, or Washington could eventually be left with a deteriorating building too expensive and unsafe to save.
For an institution created as a living memorial to John F. Kennedy, that would leave the nation’s capital with an extraordinary choice:
Save the Kennedy Center, or someday tear it down.