WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥� President said Monday that he’s 鈥渘ot ripping down鈥� but insisted the performing arts venue needs to shut down for about two years for construction and other work without patrons coming and going and getting in the way.
The comments strongly suggested that he intends to gut the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts as part of the process.
鈥淚鈥檓 not ripping it down,” the Republican president told reporters in the Oval Office. 鈥淚鈥檒l be using the steel. So we鈥檙e using the structure.鈥�
Such a project would mark the Republican president’s latest effort to put his stamp on a cultural institution that Congress designated as a living memorial to President Kennedy, a Democrat. It also would be in addition to attempts to leave a permanent mark on Washington through other projects, the most prominent of which is to the White House.
Shortly after taking office last year, who had been appointed by Democratic presidents and replaced them with loyalists, who voted to make him chairman. , a program he avoided during his first term. , and the board voted late last year to rebrand the Kennedy Center by and website.
Trump announced Sunday on social media that he intends to temporarily close the performing arts venue on July 4 for about two years 鈥渇or Construction, Revitalization, and Complete Rebuilding,” subject to board approval.
The announcement followed a , musicians and groups since the president took over leadership of the arts institution. Trump did not mention the cancellations in his announcements, or during his comments Monday.
Kennedy Center Arts Workers United, which includes several unions representing the institution’s arts workers, said in a statement that it was aware of Trump’s announcement but had received no formal notice or briefing about his plans. The group pledged to enforce its members’ contractual rights.
鈥淪hould we receive formal notice of a temporary suspension of Kennedy Center operations that displaces our members, we will enforce our contracts and exercise all our rights under the law,鈥� the statement said. 鈥淲e expect continued fair pay, enforceable worker protections, and accountability for our members in the event they cannot work due to an operational pause.鈥�
Promising 鈥榯he highest-grade everything鈥�
Recalling his past career in construction and real estate, Trump said, 鈥測ou want to sit with something for a little while before you decide on what you want to do.鈥� Speaking of the Kennedy Center, he said: 鈥淲e sat with it. We ran it. It’s in very bad shape,鈥� asserting that the building is 鈥渞un down,鈥� 鈥渄ilapidated鈥� and 鈥渟ort of dangerous.鈥�
Roma Daravi, a Kennedy Center spokesperson, said in a social media post that 鈥渄ecades of gross negligence鈥� has led to $250 million of deferred maintenance needs and that temporarily closing the institution 鈥渋s the most logical choice to allow for comprehensive renovations, efficient project completion, and responsible use of taxpayer dollars.鈥�
Deborah Rutter, the Kennedy Center president who was ousted by Trump, declined comment Monday. In the past, she has said allegations from Trump and others about the center’s management were false.
A representative for David Rubenstein, the board chairman who was also pushed out by Trump, said Rubenstein was not available Monday to comment.
Trump, citing the complaints of a workman he said has been laying marble at the Kennedy Center, said the closure is needed because “you can’t do any work because people are coming in and out.鈥�
He pegged the cost at about $200 million, including the use of 鈥渢he highest-grade marbles, the highest-grade everything.鈥�
鈥淲e鈥檙e fully financed and so we鈥檙e going to close it and we鈥檙e going to make it unbelievable, far better than it ever was, and we鈥檒l be able to do it properly,” Trump said.
Congress earmarked $257 million for the Kennedy Center in a tax cut and spending bill that Trump signed into law last summer.
What kind of work is involved
The White House said after the president spoke that some of the maintenance includes work on the building’s structural, heating and cooling, plumbing, electrical, fire protection and technical stage systems. Work on the building’s exterior, security standards and parking are also included.
Daravi, the Kennedy Center spokesperson, declined comment when asked how the closure would affect the annual Mark Twain Award and Kennedy Center Honors events this year.
Trump said last October, also on social media, that the venue would stay open during construction. But on Monday he said that plan was no longer feasible.
鈥淚 was thinking maybe there鈥檚 a way of doing it simultaneously but there really isn鈥檛, and we鈥檙e going to have something that when it opens it鈥檚 going to be brand new, beautiful,” Trump said.
鈥淭he steel will all be checked out because it鈥檒l be fully exposed,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 been up for a long time, but as anybody knows it was in very bad shape. Wasn鈥檛 kept well, before I got there,鈥� he said. 鈥淪o we鈥檙e going to make it, I think there won鈥檛 be anything like it in the country.鈥�
The Kennedy Center opened in 1971.
Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., who in November opened an investigation into the Kennedy Center’s financial management, said the planned closure is part of Trump’s 鈥渄emolition tour of Washington.鈥� Whitehouse is the senior Democrat on the Environment and Public Works Committee, which oversees public buildings, and is an ex-officio member of the Kennedy Center’s board.
Since Trump returned to the presidency, the Kennedy Center is that he has sought to overhaul in his second term.
He demolished the White House East Wing and launched a massive $400 million ballroom project, is actively pursuing building a triumphal arch on the other side the Arlington Bridge from the Lincoln Memorial, and has plans for Washington .
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Associated Press writers Hillel Italie in New York and Steven Sloan in Washington contributed to this report.
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