The planned July renovation of the main theater and concert complex in Washington, until recently known as the “John F. Kennedy“ Center for the Performing Arts, will cost at least $300 million and will lead to layoffs of some staff, The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported, citing its sources.
The cost exceeds the initially announced $200 million and does not include additional costs, such as renovation of the VIP halls. In addition, the renovation will lead to layoffs of some of the complex's 2,000 employees.
The renovation of the Center has become a “mania“ for US President Donald Trump: he regularly calls the building's maintenance manager to check on the progress of the renovation. The president even knows which cladding panels are scheduled for replacement and which pipes run through the building. The publication also reports that after the news of the renovation, ticket sales for the Center in one week have dropped by more than 70% compared to the same periods in 2025, 2024 and 2023. According to sources for the newspaper, just over 20% of tickets for a performance scheduled for this week have been sold.
Earlier, the American leader announced that the Center would be closed in July for two years for renovation. He said that after the renovation, the complex “can undoubtedly become the best performing arts center of its kind in the world“.