President Trump said Monday that he is not planning to tear down the Kennedy Center, pushing back on speculation after announcing the major arts institution will close for roughly two years for renovations.
Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, the president said the project will focus on rebuilding and restoring the aging facility — not demolishing it — while reusing much of its existing structure.
“I’m not ripping it down,” Trump said. “I’ll be using the steel, so we’re using the structure.”
The president estimated the renovation will cost about $200 million.
Sources familiar with the plans told CBS News there has been no discussion so far of gutting the building, and Trump has not requested estimates for a full interior teardown.
Instead, the scheduled work, expected to begin this summer, will include a new roof, replacement of some marble and grout, and renovations to the promenade section of the building that extends toward the river. Existing steel in that area will be reused, one source said.
One of the two free-standing stages in the grand foyer is likely to be removed and could potentially be replaced with a bar, according to the sources.
However, the Kennedy Center’s basic layout — including its three theaters as well as the Hall of Nations and Hall of States — is expected to remain intact.
Trump said the administration took time to evaluate the building’s condition before moving forward.
“As a real estate builder, you want to sit with something for a little while before you decide on what you want to do,” he said. “You know, we sat with it” and discovered “it’s dilapidated” and needs to be fixed.
A White House official said the administration does not need congressional approval to temporarily close the center for renovations.
Congress appropriated about $250 million last year for building improvements.
Trump announced late Sunday that the Kennedy Center would close for construction for approximately two years, aiming to address what Kennedy Center President Ric Grenell described as “decades of deferred maintenance and repairs.”
The president argued that a full closure would allow the work to be completed faster and at a higher standard than operating through partial renovations.
Since returning to office, Trump has moved to leave a mark on major Washington-area landmarks. Last fall, the East Wing of the White House was demolished to make room for a planned 90,000-square-foot ballroom. He has also commissioned a triumphal arch near the Potomac River, saying he wants it to be “the biggest one” in the world.
The president and his allies have also made significant changes to the Kennedy Center itself. Shortly after his inauguration, Trump replaced several board members and made himself chair. Last month, the board voted to rename the institution the Trump-Kennedy Center, and Mr. Trump’s name was added to the front of the building — drawing criticism from Democrats who argue the name cannot be changed without congressional action.
The center has also faced a wave of high-profile cancellations. The Broadway hit “Hamilton” withdrew from planned performances, composer Philip Glass canceled a symphony premiere, and other artists have called off appearances, citing objections to the name change or concerns about the center’s political direction.
Grenell criticized those cancellations, saying the performers were “booked by the previous far left leadership” and accused them of politicizing the institution.
