White House · Donald Trump · Supreme Court · Axios
What Axios know about the secret underground bunker
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The development costs of President Trump's White House ballroom keep rising, as does speculation about what the finished project, including its underground complex, will look like.
Key facts
- The ballroom is expected to cost around $600 million — with about half of that coming from taxpayer dollars, The Washington Post reported
- Trump's administration is also planning to spend at least an additional $300 million on other projects around the White House complex, including a helipad, a visitor screening center and changes
- The underground complex mostly aims to modify and potentially replace the Presidential Emergency Operations Center (PEOC), which is a secure underground bunker built during World War II
- The size of the underground aspect of the projects lacks clarity, though the National Capital Planning Commission's official plan suggests it ranges around 22,000 square feet
Summary
Trump 's ballroom project is more than a simple remodel of the East Wing. The project remains in legal limbo after a federal appeals court ruled in August that Trump's ballroom plans need congressional approval. The ballroom is expected to cost around $600 million — with about half of that coming from taxpayer dollars, The Washington Post reported. It's an increase from the White House's initial $200 million estimate, which they said would come from private donors.