President Trump's White House Ballroom construction has begun. It's not the first time the White House has gotten a facelift.
A handout rendering of the interior of a $200 million ballroom in the East Wing of the White House that was announced by the Trump administration on July 31. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said that the expansion will be paid for by President Donald Trump and unnamed donors.

Note: Renderings depicted in this story based on those available to USA TODAY as of Sept. 18.

President Donald Trump is getting the big White House ballroom he’s always wanted, the centerpiece of what’s planned as the largest construction project for the executive mansion since the Harry Truman administration.

Ground crews are cutting down trees and shrubs on the South Lawn in preparation for the $200 million, 90,000-square-foot expansion of the East Wing that will contain the White House Ballroom, a formal dining area for 900 people.

“It’s going to be a beauty. It’ll be an absolutely magnificent structure,” Trump said on Sept. 13.

Though project details have not been released, the ballroom itself is estimated at 25,000 square feet in size according to an analysis by Common Edge.

Work is expected to be completed by the end of Trump’s second term in office in 2029. It will be funded by "President Trump and other patriot donors," the White House said.

Where will the White House Ballroom be located?

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From 200 to 900: New ballroom will serve more people

How White House Ballroom will compare to other famous ones

The White House ballroom will be close in size to the 1,000-seat ballroom at Mar-a-Lago, Trump's estate and private club in Palm Beach, Florida.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said on July 31 that construction on the ballroom and modernization of the East Wing would begin in September. The number of ballroom seats was put at 650.

Trump said on Sept. 13 that the ballroom would be "a little bigger" than originally planned, with seating for 900 people instead.

There are two dining rooms in the Executive Residence, both on the first floor, but not adjacent:

  • State Dining Room: 140 guests.
  • East Room: 200 guests.

Larger White House gatherings of 300 to 400 people were held in elaborate tents on the South Lawn.

Historical images of the White House construction

Who is working on the White House Ballroom?

McCrery Architects in Washington is the lead architect on the project. Clark Construction will oversee construction work and AECOM will lead engineering, the White House said.

SOURCE USA TODAY Network reporting and research; Reuters; whitehouse.org; architectmagazine.com; commonedge.org

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Construction begins on White House ballroom, its largest renovation since the 1940s

Reporting by Janet Loehrke and George Petras, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect