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President\u00a0Donald Trump\u2019s\u00a0proposal to put a coat of white paint on the exterior of a 19th-century historic landmark building next to the White House could cost taxpayers at least $7.5 million, a White House official involved in the project said Thursday.<\/p>\n
Ryan Erb, the construction operations and facilities manager in the White House Office of Administration, which is spearheading the proposal, discussed details with members of the National Capital Planning Commission as the federal agency opened its review process.<\/p>\n
The commission did not approve the project on Thursday, instead directing the White House to provide the agency with additional information at a future date.<\/p>\n
The\u00a0proposed painting of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building\u00a0is one piece of a broader plan the Republican president has said will make Washington more beautiful.<\/p>\n
Trump is making numerous changes\u00a0inside and outside the White House and its grounds, most notably\u00a0razing the East Wing\u00a0to build a 1,000-person ballroom. Across the street from the mansion, Lafayette Park is closed for renovations, including restoring the fountains.<\/p>\n
\u201cPresident Trump continues to beautify the White House and our Nation\u2019s Capital and is giving it the glory it deserves \u2014 something everyone should celebrate,\u201d White House spokesperson Davis Ingle said in an emailed statement after the meeting.<\/p>\n
Questioned about project costs, Erb said his office continues to work with an outside vendor to test the silicate paint they want to use, but offered $7.5 million as a preliminary estimate just for the exterior paint job. The White House would use money already designated for maintenance and upkeep projects.<\/p>\n
\u201cUnfortunately, we can\u2019t rush that process,\u201d Erb told the commissioners at their monthly meeting. \u201cWe\u2019re trying to get all the data first.\u201d<\/p>\n
The White House has put forward two proposals: painting the entire gray granite exterior of the Eisenhower building white, or painting most of the building white while leaving the granite base as is. Painting the entire building is preferred, officials have said.<\/p>\n
Trump last year said the gray is a \u201creally bad color.\u201d<\/p>\n
Erb said Thursday that the paint is being tested on granite samples from a quarry in Maine because no testing can be done on the Eisenhower building itself. He stressed that the samples are new stone and not aged like what is on the building, which opened in 1888 after 17 years of construction.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe initial data was encouraging for this process,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
But the proposal has alarmed preservationists, architects, historians and others who argue that granite is not meant to be painted and that paint would trap moisture and deteriorate the stone.<\/p>\n
\u201cPainting the granite facade of the building white will adversely and permanently alter this important landmark, and should be rejected,\u201d said Priya Jain, of the Society of Architectural Historians. She was among 11 people who commented at Thursday\u2019s meeting. Most urged the commission to reject the proposal.<\/p>\n
The National Trust for Historic Preservation said the \u201csubtle and rich colors\u201d of EEOB\u2019s granite exterior are \u201ccentral to its historic significance\u201d and that the proposal would fail to protect those character-defining features. The nonprofit organization has sued over the White House ballroom.<\/p>\n
More than 2,000 public comments submitted to the agency and available on its website were also strongly opposed to the plan. Commenters criticized the expected cost as a waste of taxpayer dollars and argued that a white Eisenhower building would throw off the visual balance along that portion of Pennsylvania Avenue and overwhelm the White House. Some suggested improvements to landscaping, lighting, and other measures to enhance the building\u2019s appearance.<\/p>\n
The capital planning commission, chaired by top Trump White House aide Will Scharf, approved staff comments on the proposal. That means White House officials will have to present additional information to the agency on a future date, including details about the type of paint to be used as well as alternatives that could improve the building\u2019s appearance without painting it.<\/p>\n
A separate federal agency \u2014 the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts \u2014 is also reviewing the proposal and recently asked the White House to present additional information, including about paint testing, before a vote to approve it.<\/p>\n
The Eisenhower Executive Office Building, which sits across a driveway from the White House, is a National Historic Landmark. It is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places.<\/p>\n
A lawsuit against the proposed paint job is also pending in federal court.<\/p>\n
#Trump #repaint #historic #landmark #Preservationists #destroy<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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