By Weijia Jiang
Updated on: February 2, 2026 / 7:57 PM EST / CBS News
As President Trump prepares to close the Kennedy Center for about two years of renovations, he told reporters he does not plan to demolish the building and will reuse its existing steel and some marble. Asked in the Oval Office whether he planned to tear it down, he said, “I’m not ripping it down. I’ll be using the steel, so we’re using the structure.” He estimated the changes would cost about $200 million.
Sources familiar with the planning told CBS News Mr. Trump has not sought estimates for gutting the building. The scheduled work, beginning this summer, includes a new roof, replacement of some marble and grout, and renovations to the promenade that stretches over the road toward the river — work that will reuse existing steel, one source said. One of the two freestanding stages in the grand foyer will likely be removed and may be replaced with a bar. The building’s basic layout — the three theaters plus the Hall of Nations and the Hall of States — is expected to remain intact.
Mr. Trump said his background as a real estate developer informed his approach: “you want to sit with something for a little while before you decide on what you want to do,” and after assessing the center found it “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 appropriated about $250 million for Kennedy Center building renovations last year. Trump announced late Sunday that the center would close for roughly two years to address what Kennedy Center President Ric Grenell described as “decades of deferred maintenance and repairs.” Trump argued a full closure would deliver faster, higher-quality results than staggered, partial renovations.
Since returning to the White House, Mr. Trump has pursued changes to D.C.-area landmarks. He had the White House’s East Wing demolished last fall to make room for a planned 90,000-square-foot ballroom and has commissioned a triumphal arch across the Potomac, saying he wants it to be “the biggest one” in the world.
The president and his allies have also reshaped the Kennedy Center’s leadership and branding. Weeks after his inauguration, Trump replaced some board members, made himself chair, and last month the board voted to rename the institution the Trump-Kennedy Center; Mr. Trump’s name was then added to the building. The change drew criticism from Democrats, who said renaming the center requires an act of Congress.
The renaming and leadership shifts prompted several high-profile cancellations: the Broadway show Hamilton pulled out of planned performances, composer Philip Glass canceled a premiere of a new symphony, and other artists withdrew, many citing the name change or concerns about the center’s direction. Grenell has criticized those artists, saying they were “booked by the previous far left leadership” and accusing them of politicizing the institution.