East Wing Demolished to Build Grand Ballroom

Satellite imagery and photographs show parts of the White House East Wing were demolished to make way for a roughly $250–$350 million grand ballroom (commonly reported as $300 million), and at least six trees — including magnolias commemorating Presidents Warren G. Harding and Franklin D. Roosevelt — were removed. The work has destroyed the Jacqueline Kennedy Garden and leveled interior spaces long used for tours and events, including the family theater, the Office of the First Lady, the East Colonnade, the East Garden Room and the eastern entrance. The administration says the East Wing will be modernized and rebuilt and that wealthy donors and companies have pledged to cover the cost, but it has provided no timeline or public renderings. Satellite images indicate demolition preparations began weeks earlier, and critics say the work proceeded with little public notice and without consulting the federal preservation commission that oversees historic D.C. buildings. The project has temporarily displaced first lady staff, and the fate of removed plantings and other historic features remains unclear.