The board of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts has once again approved President Donald Trump’s plan to temporarily shutter the landmark venue for a sweeping renovation project, according to two people familiar with the vote who spoke to The New York Times.
The latest vote comes after a federal judge ruled that the board had been “derelict” in properly vetting the original plan to close the Kennedy Center.
The new decision will now need approval from the federal judge before the closure can move forward.
If the board’s vote ultimately stands, the Kennedy Center’s main building would close while undergoing extensive renovations. The Reach, a newer addition to the performing arts complex, would remain open and continue operating on a limited basis.
Trump first announced the proposed shutdown in February, outlining plans for a two-year renovation of the Kennedy Center.
The president said at the time that the decision followed a yearlong review involving contractors, musical experts, arts institutions, advisers and consultants. According to Trump, officials considered whether to completely close the facility during construction or attempt to carry out the renovations while performances continued.
Trump argued that shutting down the facility temporarily would allow the work to be completed faster and at a higher quality than trying to conduct construction around audiences and scheduled performances.
“If we don’t close, the quality of Construction will not be nearly as good, and the time to completion, because of interruptions with Audiences from the many Events using the Facility, will be much longer,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
The president said a temporary shutdown would produce “a much faster and higher quality result.”
Trump also said that completely closing the building for construction, revitalization and rebuilding could transform the Kennedy Center into what he described as “the finest Performing Arts Facility of its kind, anywhere in the World.”
Despite the planned partial closure, the Kennedy Center board indicated that some of the institution’s work would continue.
According to the board resolution, officials are committed to keeping educational and arts programming operating during the period in which the main building is closed.
Trump, who leads the Kennedy Center board, previously secured approval for the massive renovation project.
The planned overhaul carries a $250 million price tag and includes significant structural work, the addition of marble flooring and other renovations.
The latest board vote represents another step toward implementing Trump’s vision for the performing arts center, but the plan is not yet final.
Because of the federal court ruling involving the board’s handling of the original closure proposal, the newly approved resolution must still receive a federal judge’s approval.
If that happens, the Kennedy Center’s main building would close for the renovation project while The Reach remains available for limited operations and the center continues some educational and arts programming.
