Reflecting Pool renovation, a massive White House ballroom and a triumphal arch: Here's how Trump is remaking D.C.

Key Points:

• President Trump has launched multiple high-profile projects in Washington, D.C., including a White House ballroom, a triumphal arch, renovations to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, changes to the Kennedy Center, and improvements to Lafayette Park, sparking legal challenges and controversy.
• The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool resurfacing, initially estimated at $1.5 million and one week of work, ended up costing $16.4 million and faced problems such as algae growth and peeling paint shortly after completion.
• The planned 90,000-square-foot White House ballroom, originally estimated at $200 million, now has projected costs up to $600 million, with half potentially funded by taxpayers; construction is currently stalled due to legal disputes over historic preservation and congressional approval.
• Trump’s proposed 250-foot triumphal arch near Arlington National Cemetery is expected to cost around $100 million, with some public funds already allocated, but faces criticism over its scale and a lawsuit from veterans and historians.
• At the John F. Kennedy Center, Trump’s efforts to rename the institution and close it for renovations were blocked by a federal judge, who ruled only Congress can change its name; the center plans to honor Trump with a new endowment instead, while renovations funded by $257 million in federal money proceed.