The Trump administration has threatened to demolish the Kennedy Center if planned renovations for the performing arts venue are not allowed to proceed, court documents reveal. Attorneys from the justice department have also requested that President Donald Trump's name be put back on the building.
Trump's name was removed in June following a court order. In late May, a US judge ruled that the president's name had been added unlawfully, as renaming the institution requires congressional approval.
Lawyers for the administration argue that blocking the recognition of President Trump would cause donors to withdraw, financial contributions to cease, and structural rehabilitation to halt. They contend that without renovations, the venue "will deteriorate further into an unsafe, decrepit structure that will be required to be taken down."
Justice department attorney Brantley Mayers stated that after the "decrepit structure" is removed, a determination of what to build on the site would follow, including the option of a large outdoor amphitheatre.
The threat of demolition comes weeks after the Kennedy Center board voted to re-add Trump's name to the facade and proceed with a two-year closure for proposed renovations. Many of the board members who voted were appointed by President Trump.