Construction on the White House East Wing began in October under President Donald Trump’s instruction to build a new, $250 million ballroom. Now, there’s only rubble where the East Wing once stood.
The architect of the ballroom is Shalom Baranes Associates, a D.C.-based firm that previously designed the General Services Administration鈥檚 national headquarters, according to the company鈥檚 website.
Pablo Martinez Monsivais, the assistant chief of photos with The Associated Press, obtained new photos of the ongoing demolition this week from the top of the Washington Monument.
“I’m just amazed at the amount of progress that has been made in that short amount of time. I’ve been here almost 30 years in D.C., and I’ve never had the opportunity to go up here,” Monsivais said. “It was just stunning just to see how much work they’ve done so far.”
The White House is expected to submit plans for the new ballroom聽to a federal planning commission before the year ends, about three months after construction began.
