Kennedy Center Fences Off Main Building After $257 Million Repair Closure, as Judge Blocks Trump Naming Plan
Updated
Updated · WJLA · Sep 16
Kennedy Center Fences Off Main Building After $257 Million Repair Closure, as Judge Blocks Trump Naming Plan
3 articles · Updated · WJLA · Sep 16
Summary
Fencing went up Wednesday around the Kennedy Center’s main building, and security turned away visitors a day after the board voted to close most of the venue.
The closure followed a federal judge’s order blocking plans to add Donald Trump’s name to the building and plaza, while Trump said the safety repairs should proceed only if the naming plan can move ahead.
Rep. Joyce Beatty, an ex-officio trustee, sought an emergency court hearing, calling the shutdown unlawful; Judge Christopher Cooper ordered the center to respond by Thursday morning.
Safety concerns center on the 55-year-old building after a chunk of ceiling fell earlier this month, with the board citing long-running infrastructure failures and Congress having already allocated $257 million for repairs.
The standoff deepens a broader fight over control of the institution after Cooper ruled in May that Trump’s name had been added illegally and said any new inscription would require congressional approval.