"It wasn't enough to mess with the programming, install himself as chair, and stick his name above JFK's on the façade. The president has abruptly announced that he's closing ( the Donald J. Trump and) the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts for a major renovation, no doubt to forestall the embarrassment that would accompany a further cascade of the cancellations, boycotts, and empty seats the center already faces."
"He says the project will take two years, to begin right after the national 250th-birthday celebration this July, which could mean it'll be finished at just about the end of his term. Trump surely thinks he'll cut the ribbon at the reopening, and God help the site manager who has to tell him about some construction delay that will push the event into the next president's term. That is, if he obeys the law and leaves the job in 2028, or earlier through natural causes."
"Reports are that Trump and his filthy little Igor, Richard Grenell, haven't so much as gotten a contractor's estimate yet, and two years is hardly enough time to rehab a large and complex building. Trump has said it'll cost $200 million, which also sounds suspiciously modest. Then again, how much he actually intends to do is vague. Some infrastructure work is genuinely needed there, HVAC repairs and the like, and Congress allocated money for that some time ago."
The president abruptly announced a two-year closure of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts for a major renovation scheduled after the national 250th-birthday celebration. The timeline could allow reopening near the end of his term, suggesting a planned ribbon-cutting by him. Reports indicate no contractor estimate yet and cost claims of $200 million appear modest. Much of the work may be limited to needed infrastructure like HVAC rather than a full transformation. The move likely aims to forestall cancellations, boycotts, and empty seats facing the center. Congressional funds already exist for some repairs.
Read at Curbed
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