Trump hires new architect for White House ballroom amid clashes over project

By Kristen Holmes, Samantha Waldenberg, CNN

(CNN) — President Donald Trump has hired a new architect for the White House ballroom amid disputes between the president and the architect originally contracted to complete the project, several sources have told CNN.

One senior White House official said that McCrery Architects and its CEO James McCrery would no longer be in the picture, after clashing with the president over the scope of the project, particularly the size of the ballroom, But two White House officials strongly denied McCrery was fired; they said he instead will remain on the ballroom project as a consultant.

The new architect is Shalom Baranes Associates, a Washington, DC-based firm that previously designed the General Services Administration’s national headquarters, according to the company’s website.

“As we begin to transition into the next stage of development on the White House Ballroom, the Administration is excited to share that the highly talented Shalom Baranes has joined the team of experts to carry out President Trump’s vision on building what will be the greatest addition to the White House since the Oval Office — the White House Ballroom,” White House spokesperson Davis Ingle told CNN in a statement. “Shalom is an accomplished architect whose work has shaped the architectural identity of our nation’s capital for decades and his experience will be a great asset to the completion of this project.”

CNN has reached out to McCrery and Shalom Baranes Associates for comment.

White House officials had grumbled in recent weeks that the project was going to be slowed down due to the friction between the McCrery and Trump, who reportedly clashed over the size of the project and the extent to which it comported with the White House’s classic design.

The dispute over the scope of the project was first reported by the Washington Post, which, citing four sources, said the argument reflected a disagreement between Trump’s elaborate style and design norms.

Trump’s plans to build a massive new ballroom have ballooned since its initial announcement – along with the cost, which the administration has said will be fully paid for by private donors.

The ballroom is now expected to be larger than initially planned, according to multiple sources familiar with the matter, although it’s not clear how much bigger. In announcing the plans over the summer, the White House originally said the ballroom would be 90,000 square feet with a seated capacity of 650 people, putting the cost at $200 million.

While it’s not clear how much larger, Trump said in October that the ballroom is now expected to cost $300 million, seemingly in line with a larger structure.

The project has drawn outcry as Trump bypassed concerns raised by preservationists and tore down the entirety of the White House East Wing without seeking approval from the commission overseeing construction on federal buildings. The White House has said it will submit plans for the ballroom construction to the National Capital Planning Commission, but insists the body doesn’t have purview over the decision to knock down the East Wing.

Will Scharf, who leads the commission and was appointed to the post by Trump over the summer, said Thursday that he has been told by colleagues at the White House that the ballroom plans will be submitted to the agency this month.

Scharf noted at the beginning of an NCPC meeting that once the plans are submitted, “that’s really when the role of this commission and its professional staff will begin.”

CNN’s Piper Hudspeth Blackburn contributed to this report.

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