President Donald Trump has hired a new architect to handle the design of his $300 million White House Ballroom after reportedly clashing with a previous project lead over the proposed size of the event space.
White House officials confirmed Thursday that Trump has been replaced James McCreary IIthe man he handpicked to oversee the creation of the 90,000-square-foot addition, along with his namesake architecture firm, Shalom Berenicea designer with previous experience working on government buildings.
According to CNN, White House officials have strongly denied claims that McCreary has been fired, and told the outlet that he will remain involved in the project as an adviser moving forward.
“As we begin the transition to the next phase of development in the White House Ballroom, the administration is excited to announce that the extremely talented Shalom Behrens has joined the team of experts to execute on President Trump’s vision for what will be the largest addition to the White House in the White House — the White House Ballroom,” White House spokesman Davis Ingle told the outlet.
“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 tremendous asset to the completion of this project.”
News of McCreary’s replacement came just days after it was first revealed that she and Trump were at odds over the planned ballroom improvements, which would be twice the size of the original White House.
While the White House dismissed the fallout between the two men as a “constructive dialogue” in a statement to The Washington Post, rumors continued that the working relationship between the two men was no longer moving forward in a positive manner.
CNN reported that “White House officials had mumbled in recent weeks” that the project’s progress was being hampered by disagreements between Trump and McCreary, who are said to have expressed serious concerns that the finished ballroom would dwarf the 55,000-square-foot White House.
Trump first announced his plans to outfit the White House with his own ballroom in July, when the White House released a statement confirming that construction on the project would begin in September.
The inspiration behind the proposed ballroom was to create an event space capable of holding more than 200 people that the East Wing was able to accommodate for official occasions, which led to many of the grand White House events being held outside in tents.
When the White House shared Trump’s plans for the ballroom, a spokesman noted that it would be large enough for 650 seated guests, more than three times the number that could fit inside the East Wing at dinner.
“The White House is one of the most beautiful and historic buildings in the world, yet the White House is currently unable to host major events honoring world leaders and other countries without erecting a large and ugly tent about 100 yards from the main building’s entrance,” the statement said.
“The White House State Ballroom, with a seating capacity of 650 people, will be a much-needed and spectacular addition to the approximately 90,000 total square feet of decoratively designed and carefully crafted space.
At the time, McCreary expressed his excitement at being involved in the project, while praising Trump for moving forward with the renovation of the historic structure.
“Modern presidents have faced challenges hosting major events at the White House because it has been untouched since the presidency. Harry Truman,” he said.
“I am honored that President Trump has entrusted me to help bring this beautiful and necessary renovation into people’s homes, while preserving the beauty of its classic design and historic significance.”
However, the project quickly became the source of much criticism when it was revealed that crews had begun demolishing the East Wing at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. To make way for the ballroom, Trump had previously insisted that the addition would not interfere with the existing structure of the White House.
“It won’t interfere with the existing building. It won’t. It will be close to it but not touching it — and completely respectful of the existing building, which I’m a big fan of,” he told reporters in July.
It is understood the plans changed after a meeting with architects revealed there would not be enough space for the planned ballroom without the destruction of the East Wing, which has long housed the first lady’s office.
During a recent interview with the Fox News host Laura Ingrahamthe president defended the plan, telling her that the East Wing “looked like hell” when it was torn down and noting that the ballroom would greatly enhance the White House.
“The East Wing was a beautiful, small, little structure that was built many years ago that was renovated and expanded and gutted and the columns gone — and it had nothing to do with the original building,” he said.
“It was a poor, sad sight, and I could have built a ballroom around it, but it wouldn’t have been—we’re building one of the greatest ballrooms in the world.”
The president noted that the ballroom would be paid for privately, not by taxpayers, calling on several wealthy donors to contribute to the project.
During a White House dinner hosted for donors, Trump previously gave a glimpse at his plans for the place, saying it would be “one of the best places anywhere in the world.”
He also described the new ballroom as having four sides of “bulletproof” glass that “matches the color and the window shape perfectly.”
Construction continues on the historic home after Trump took office.
Before work began on the ballroom, the president was under fire to pave the iconic White House Rose Garden lawn to secure an outdoor event space for guests, especially women in heels.
“You know, we use to [the Rose Garden] for a press conference and it doesn’t work because people fall,” she said during a March interview on Fox News. Women, with high heels, it just didn’t work.”
Despite backlash over the plans, Trump pressed ahead with a redesign of the outdoor space, with photos taken in June that revealed the grass had been ripped up and replaced with gravel.
The completed paved area was later filled with tables, chairs, and yellow and white umbrellas that many people used to use the poolside at Trump’s Florida resort, Mar-Lago.
As part of the redesign, the rose garden has been outfitted with a new drainage system to prevent water from pooling in its center.
Work on the historic garden began on June 9, when National Park Service employees began removing the limestone border that had been installed by Trump’s wife.Melanie55, during his first term in office.
The renovation progressed quickly, with photos taken on June 17 and 18 revealing that the entire lawn had been torn up by bulldozers – as well as several poles that were underground – before gravel was laid over the entire surface.
Despite Trump’s insistence that the garden renovation was absolutely necessary, the plan has drawn some backlash from critics, who insist it is disrespectful to “remove” such an important piece of White House history.
Separate from the White House, the president also recently revealed that he wants to build a new monument near the Lincoln Memorial.