White House ballroom

Congressional Insider -   The Commission of Fine Arts unanimously approved the White House State Ballroom on Feb. 19, 2026, despite reports that 99% of roughly 2,000 public comments opposed the plan.

A federal judge rejected a preservation group’s attempt to block construction, limiting legal avenues to slow the project.

The project cost rose from an early estimate of about $200 million to $400 million, alongside major design and capacity changes.

The East Wing is being demolished to make way for a large new event space as construction continues into 2028.