Overview
- The National Capital Planning Commission chair said the White House will file the ballroom proposal this month, marking the start of the commission’s formal review.
- Shalom Baranes Associates was named to lead the project after disagreements over scope with the originally engaged McCrery Architects.
- White House accounts conflict on McCrery’s status, with one official saying the firm is out and others saying it will remain as a consultant.
- The project has grown to about 8,300 square meters with a stated capacity up to 999 people and an estimated cost near $300 million.
- The administration says the expansion will be privately financed, while conservationists criticize the prior demolition and the pace of work before commission review.