Trump, in Middle of New Ballroom Construction Project, Fires Entire Arts Commission Tasked With Reviewing D.C. Architecture Plans

President Trump has dismissed all six serving members of the Commission of Fine Arts, an independent federal agency responsible for advising on design and aesthetic matters in Washington, D.C., according to a new report.The dismissed commissioners — Peter Cook, Hazel Edwards, Justin Moore, Billie Tsien, Bruce Becker, and William Lenihan — were all appointed by President Biden to serve four-year terms. All were notified by email that they were fired, the Washington Post reported.“On behalf of President Donald J. Trump, I am writing to inform you that your position as a member of the Commission on Fine Arts is terminated, effective immediately,” read the email from the Presidential Personnel Office, the Post reported.The firings follow similar dismissals of Biden appointees from other boards and organizations earlier this year, including the National Capital Planning Commission and the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Council.Established by Congress in 1910, the Commission of Fine Arts was created “to advise the federal government on matters pertaining to the arts and national symbols, and to guide the architectural development of Washington, D.C.,” according to its website. The commission typically consists of seven members who review proposed designs for memorials, government buildings, coins, medals, and privately owned properties in certain parts of Washington.The firings come as Mr. Trump pursues an ambitious series of construction projects in the nation’s capital. Most notably, the president is overseeing a massive overhaul of the White House East Wing that includes a proposed 90,000-square-foot ballroom. Mr. Trump has estimated the ballroom will cost “about $300 million” and has said it will be funded by himself and donors.Administration officials have determined that the White House needs approval only from the National Capital Planning Commission to proceed with the ballroom construction. Officials say the arts commission has jurisdiction only when “vertical” construction begins and does not oversee demolition.“Construction plans have not yet been submitted to the National Capital Planning Commission but will be soon,” a White House official told Reuters of the ballroom last week.Mr. Trump recently appointed White House staff secretary and loyalist Will Scharf as chairman of the National Capital Planning Commission, along with two other aides. Mr. Scharf said during a commission meeting last month that the body would eventually be involved in the project, but not until after the East Wing was demolished.It remains unclear whether the Commission of Fine Arts would have had any jurisdiction over the ballroom project. Certain laws and rules regarding building alterations appear not to apply to the White House itself. Last week, the National Trust for Historic Preservation sent a letter urging the Trump administration to halt the teardown of the 123-year-old East Wing until plans for the ballroom undergo “the legally required public review processes, including consultation and review by the National Capital Planning Commission and the Commission of Fine Arts, both of which have authority to review new construction at the White House, and to invite comments from the American people.”“These processes provide an essential opportunity for transparency and public engagement — values that have guided preservation of the White House under every administration going back to the public competition in 1792 that produced the building’s original design. Doing so will help ensure that the project honors the exceptional historic significance of the White House and its grounds and acknowledges the investment that the American people have in the preservation of this beloved place,” the group said in the letter.The president is also considering building a permanent triumphal arch in Washington as part of celebrations honoring the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence in July. Unlike the White House ballroom, the arch will be built on federal land at the end of the Arlington Memorial Bridge and is not exempt from standard review processes.

Trump, in Middle of New Ballroom Construction Project, Fires Entire Arts Commission Tasked With Reviewing D.C. Architecture Plans

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