President Trump said he will not tear down the John F. Kennedy Center as it closes for roughly two years of planned work, and that much of the existing structure — including steel and some marble — will be reused. Speaking in the Oval Office, he told reporters, “I’m not ripping it down. I’ll be using the steel, so we’re using the structure,” and estimated the project would cost about $200 million.
People familiar with planning for the closure told CBS News the administration has not pursued estimates for completely gutting the building. The renovation, slated to begin this summer, is expected to include a new roof, replacement of some marble and grout, and repairs to the promenade that stretches over the road toward the river; those elements, one source said, will reuse existing steel. One of the two freestanding stages in the grand foyer may be removed and possibly replaced with a bar, but the center’s basic layout — the three theaters plus the Hall of Nations and the Hall of States — is expected to remain intact.
Trump framed his approach through the lens of his real estate background, saying you should “sit with something for a little while before you decide on what you want to do,” and he described the building as “dilapidated” and in need of repair. A White House official said the administration does not need congressional approval to temporarily close the facility for renovation.
Congress provided roughly $250 million last year for Kennedy Center renovations. Trump announced the full closure late Sunday to address what Kennedy Center President Ric Grenell called “decades of deferred maintenance and repairs.” The president argued that closing the center completely will deliver faster, higher-quality results than staggered or partial renovations.
The Kennedy Center changes come amid other alterations to Washington-area landmarks ordered by Trump since his return to the White House. Last fall the White House’s East Wing was demolished to make way for a planned 90,000-square-foot ballroom, and the president has commissioned a triumphal arch across the Potomac that he said he wants to be “the biggest one” in the world.
Trump has also reshaped the Kennedy Center’s leadership and branding. Weeks after his inauguration he replaced several board members, made himself chair, and the board recently voted to rename the institution the Trump-Kennedy Center; his name was added to the building. Democrats criticized that move, saying an official renaming requires an act of Congress.
The rebranding and leadership changes prompted several high-profile cancellations: the Broadway show Hamilton withdrew from scheduled performances, composer Philip Glass canceled a premiere, and other artists pulled out, many citing the name change or concerns about the center’s direction. Grenell has publicly criticized those artists, saying they were “booked by the previous far left leadership” and accusing them of politicizing the institution.
As renovation work is set to begin this summer, officials say the project will prioritize structural repairs and upgrades while retaining the center’s primary theaters and halls. The closure and rebranding have deepened debate over the institution’s future and the role of presidential influence in national cultural landmarks.