The cost of the White House Executive Ballroom has tripled since the ambitious project was announced last year, reaching nearly $600 million, The Washington Post (WP) reported, citing project documents from the contractor.
US President Donald Trump has previously said that not a cent of government funds will be spent on the project, which has been his long-held dream. Everything will be financed, he said, by corporate sponsors such as Amazon, Apple, Booz Allen Hamilton and Caterpillar. However, the documents state that $307 million is to come from federal sources.
Multiple project summaries provided to the White House by Clark Construction show, according to the WP, that “internal cost estimates were significantly higher than administration officials have acknowledged in public statements or court documents“. They also indicate that from the time the project was announced, the work was assumed to be “largely taxpayer-funded,” the publication notes.
The administration has yet to respond to reports of overspending or the use of taxpayer funds. Clark Construction also did not comment on the situation, advising interested parties to direct questions to the White House.
According to White House spokesman Davis Ingle, “President Trump and the generous American patriots are dedicating approximately $400 million to the construction of the ballroom, which will provide a safe and appropriate environment for presidents for generations to come“. “The East Wing modernization project is inextricably linked to the security of the president, the White House grounds and certain security infrastructure“, he added.
As previously reported, construction of the ballroom is scheduled to be completed in the summer of 2028. The new building will be able to accommodate up to 650 people.
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