The bunker under the White House’s East Wing will be upgraded under President Donald Trump’s renovation plans, CBS News reported on Wednesday, citing sources. The Presidential Emergency Operations Center is a bunker that serves as a secure shelter and communications center for the president and others in case of an emergency.
Specific details about upgrades to the bunker have not been revealed yet.
Meanwhile, President Trump on Wednesday said that the East Wing is being torn down in its entirety to make way for a huge $300-million ballroom. He told reporters at an Oval Office event that he had decided after consulting architects that “really knocking it down” was preferable to a partial demolition.
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Among other rooms, Trump’s plan is expected to impact First Lady Melania Trump’s office and other department centers. The president said that the new 90,000-square-foot ballroom will be able to host large state dinners and other events that currently have to be held in a tent.
“In order to do it properly, we had to take down the existing structure,” Trump said.
However, the Trump administration is facing criticism. “We are deeply concerned that the massing and height of the proposed new construction will overwhelm the White House itself — (which) is 55,000 square feet — and may also permanently disrupt the carefully balanced classical design of the White House with its two smaller, and lower, East and West Wings,” the National Trust for Historic Preservation said in a letter on Tuesday.
Trump dismissed questions about how transparent he had been regarding the project.
Read More: ‘Bigger than White House…’: Trump’s East Wing ballroom model leaked; first photos out
“It’s gotten really great reviews. I think we’ve been more transparent than anybody’s ever,” he added.
Plans show that the ballroom will be able to seat as many as 650 guests, though Trump recently claimed the final version could accommodate up to 999 people.
According to the White House, the design will be led by McCrery Architects, a Washington, DC–based firm, with Clark Construction overseeing the build and AECOM managing engineering work.
Trump reportedly courted billionaire backers at a private event last week to promote the ballroom plan. Among those in attendance were Blackstone CEO Steve Schwarzman, oil magnate Harold Hamm, and crypto investors Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss.
(With AFP inputs)
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