19.08 CESTTrump-led board reportedly votes again to close Kennedy Center for renovationsThe board of the John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts has once again voted to move forward with Donald Trump’s controversial plan to temporarily close the building for renovations, the New York Times (paywall) is reporting, citing two people with direct knowledge of the proceedings.The decision will be subject to approval by a federal judge. In May, US district judge Christopher Cooper issued a temporary block on Trump’s demand to close the arts institution for two years of renovations, which was due to start in July after the board – mostly handpicked by the president – voted unanimously in favor. But Joyce Beatty, a Democratic US representative of Ohio who sits on the board, sued over the decision.Cooper shut down the plan on the basis that “in ratifying President Trump’s closure announcement, the Board was derelict in discharging the full range of its responsibilities to the Center”.“More specifically, the Board based its decision on an insufficient, one-sided presentation of information and neglected to consider the full range of its statutory obligations and potential adverse consequences of closure on programming and memorial functions,” Cooper went on.He called the decision to halt operations during the renovation “ill-informed and seemingly preordained”.According to the New York Times’s report, the board voted today “to close the Kennedy Center’s main building, while keeping a newer addition to the campus, known as the Reach, open for limited programming and to operate as an active memorial to John F. Kennedy.” double quotation markAhead of the meeting, the board was presented with a 163-page plan for a $250m “renewal” project that includes structural repair work, new marble floors, $11.8m in “acoustical improvements” and a plan to temporarily move the famous 3,000-pound bronze bust of Kennedy to another building on campus. Board members were provided with a comparison of two scenarios for renovations by an outside consultant. Both the consultant and the construction management firm, JLL, raised safety and cost concerns that they say would arise from keeping the building open during a phased renovation. The proposal by JLL says the project would address chronic leaks, replace outdated equipment and redesign parts of the interior. Changes include new furniture, a new coffee shop, electronic ticketing kiosks and $7m in public restroom renovations. The target for reopening would be summer of 2028. Judge Cooper said in his order that the board had a legal obligation to maintain the facility as a memorial to President Kennedy. Under the plan, memorial materials would be moved to a newer addition to the campus during the closure. It was unclear immediately after the meeting, which was held virtually and was not public, whether the center intends to pursue the exact plan laid out in the report following the judge’s review. The Kennedy Center has until next week to share its plan with Cooper, who will review his decision to consider whether the board carried out sufficient due diligence ahead of the vote.We’ve reached out to the Kennedy Center for comment.ShareUpdated at 19.11 CEST
