APRIL 30, 2026
Preservation groups ask federal judge to block Kennedy Center renovations pending congressional review
A coalition of cultural and historic preservation groups, including the American Institute of Architects and the National Trust for Historic Preservation, asked U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper to issue a preliminary injunction halting renovations at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts before the scheduled July 6 project launch. A separate but related lawsuit was filed by Representative Joyce Beatty (D-Ohio), an ex-officio trustee, who also seeks to remove President Trump's name from the building's facade. Both cases are before Judge Cooper in Washington, D.C.
Hearings in two lawsuits against President Trump and the Kennedy Center's board were held Tuesday and Wednesday before Judge Cooper. The preservation coalition's case centers on whether the administration is required to submit a comprehensive renovation plan to Congress for approval before construction begins; Beatty's separate suit additionally challenges the addition of Trump's name to the building.
The Kennedy Center's executive director and chief operating officer, Matt Floca, testified that he was "dumbfounded" by the state of the building when he joined in 2024, citing extensive water damage to a section of the building nicknamed "the swamp," outdated electrical systems, and degraded concrete. Floca said closing the Center during renovations was his recommendation and that the $257 million appropriated under Trump's legislation must be spent by 2029. "The most efficient and effective way to complete the magnitude of projects we need to complete is to close the center," Floca said.
Lawyers for the plaintiffs said they did not dispute the need for repairs but argued that no comprehensive plan had been submitted to Congress, as they contend is required by law. Attorney Abbe Lowell raised the precedent of the White House East Wing, which was demolished without congressional approval after Trump said his ballroom design would not "interfere" with the building. Lowell asked Floca whether he was familiar with the phrase "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me." Floca confirmed he was and said there were "no active plans" to demolish the Kennedy Center, though he conceded that Trump is involved in all aspects of the renovation.