Trending:Iran protestsMinneapolis Ice shootingRussia-Ukraine warGreenlandJustin Trudeau-Katy Perry romanceBangladesh T20 World Cup rowDemolishing East Wing for new ballroom more cost-effective than renovation, says White HouseFP News Desk • January 10, 2026, 08:07:39 ISTWhatsapp Facebook TwitterWhite House officials informed members of the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) that the wing was marred by issues such as “chronic water intrusion, accelerated deterioration and mould contamination”AdvertisementSubscribe Join Us+ Follow us On GoogleChoose Firstpost on GoogleA demolition crew takes apart the facade of the East Wing of the White House, where US President Donald Trump's proposed ballroom is being built, in Washington, DC, US, October 21, 2025. File Image/ReutersWhite House officials have said that it made more economic sense to demolish the East Wing and make way for President Donald Trump’s dream project of a ballroom than to renovate it. The director of the White House Office of Administration, Josh Fisher, justified the bulldozing of the historic East Wing, saying that it had “significant deficiencies and overall poor structural design and construction.”White House officials informed members of the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) that the wing was marred by issues such as “chronic water intrusion, accelerated deterioration and mould contamination.”STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD“Because of this and other factors, the cost analysis proved that demolition and reconstruction provided the lowest total cost ownership and most effective long-term strategy,” Fisher said. More from World Trump goes shopping for marble for new White House ballroom Iran unrest: Anti-govt street protests erupt in Tehran, some marchers shout 'Pahlavi will return'When asked by the chairman of the District of Columbia council, Democrat Phil Mendelson, the head of the commission, why the entire plan of the ballroom had not been presented yet, Fisher said that its construction was of a “top secret nature.”Meanwhile, earlier this month, Trump went shopping for marble, which will be used in the new White House ballroom. The president made a stop at Arc Stone & Tile, a stone importer near Mar-a-Lago, before heading to the Trump International Golf Club. A White House official told CNN that Trump planned to buy marble and onyx from the Italian marble specialist. Quick ReadsView AllUS job growth slows in December as unemployment dips, strengthening case for Fed pauseWill Mexico allow US troops on its territory or will Trump barge in?The purchase, the official said, would be paid for personally by Trump and marks the latest indication of the president’s deep involvement in a project that would significantly reshape the White House grounds and leave a lasting personal mark on the nation’s most iconic address. How much is the project costing?Trump had earlier said that the ‘big, beautiful ballroom’ project would cost $200 million, adding that the construction would not affect the existing White House structure.
