Overview

• Will Scharf, who is both White House staff secretary and chair of the National Capital Planning Commission, said the commission lacks jurisdiction over demolition or site preparation on federal property.
• Scharf stated that NCPC review will apply to the ballroom’s vertical construction, describing the commission’s remit as focused on “construction, vertical build.”
• The White House plans a 90,000-square-foot ballroom off the East Wing, with crews expected to break ground this month on a project reported at roughly $200 million.
• The administration has released ornate interior renderings and has said the East Wing will be heavily reconstructed, with the addition expected to significantly alter the complex’s appearance.
• At the same public meeting, Scharf criticized the Federal Reserve’s renovation approach as evading planning oversight and said he would send the Fed a letter expressing severe concerns.