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Supreme Court Clears Trump Washington Projects

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On Monday, the Supreme Court ruled that President Trump could continue construction of a massive new ballroom on the site of the White House's old East Wing, finding that the group that brought a lawsuit against it did not have the legal grounds to do so. That seemed to remove the last legal obstacle blocking Mr. Trump's plans for a 90,000-square-foot building that would dwarf the White House itself. But Mr. Trump's plans to remake Washington extend far beyond the ballroom. He also plans to repaint, rebuild and replace landmarks around the capital, from icons like the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts to lesser-known spots like a public golf course south of the National Mall. These projects are supposed to be scrutinized by independent boards and commissions, whose job is to safeguard Washington's monumental core. Mr. Trump has stacked those boards with his allies. Instead, Democrats and preservationists have turned to the courts, where they have filed lawsuits seeking to block the president's projects. But the Supreme Court's ruling showed that this route could be difficult. The court found that the preservation group seeking to stop the ballroom project did not have the legal standing to sue because it was not directly harmed by the construction.

Here is where Mr. Trump's best-known projects stand and who has oversight of them:

1. White House Ballroom President Trump has said the new ballroom will give the White House a proper venue to hold state dinners. He has also said the project will include an expanded underground military bunker. The total cost has been estimated at $400 million. Construction status: Work is ongoing. The Trump administration said in recent court filings that workers were on the site 20 hours a day, seven days a week. It said the project was about 65 percent finished. Who has approved: The project has been approved by the Commission of Fine Arts and the National Capital Planning Commission, two boards that are supposed to review major changes to Washington landmarks. Mr. Trump filled them with his own allies, and the boards have allowed several of Mr. Trump's projects to proceed while subjecting others to more thorough reviews and long delays. What hurdles remain: After the Supreme Court's ruling, there are no obvious roadblocks left that could halt the project. If Democrats take control of Congress after the midterm elections, they might seek to file a new lawsuit, asserting they have a stronger claim to standing because Mr. Trump is defying Congress's authority over buildings on public land in Washington.

2. Triumphal Arch Mr. Trump has proposed building a 250-foot triumphal arch in Washington, near Arlington National Cemetery, that he has said must be taller than the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. He has said the arch is meant to celebrate the 250th anniversary of American independence, though he has also said that the arch is for himself. The Trump administration has not announced a final cost of the project, though some outlets estimate it could be more than $100 million. Mr. Trump suggested last October that the arch might be funded by money left from the ballroom project, but documents show that the National Endowment for the Humanities, an independent federal agency, is reserving $15 million for it. The Federal Aviation Administration has also studied the project to assess its impact on a busy flight path in and out of Washington. Construction status: The administration has done preliminary testing of the site and has awarded $500,000 to an Oregon-based firm for an environmental assessment, but the administration has not yet broken ground. Who has approved: The Commission of Fine Arts approved the arch design in May, even after the president rejected the panel's suggestion to make the structure smaller by removing a towering, winged angel and two golden eagles. Mr. Trump's plans have not yet received final approval from the National Capital Planning Commission.