The Kennedy Center’s board has warned that the performing arts complex could eventually be demolished if plans for a two-year renovation and new references to President Donald Trump are blocked.
The warning appeared in Justice Department court filings submitted before an emergency federal hearing scheduled for Thursday. The documents said the center could deteriorate into an unsafe structure that would have to be removed. One possible replacement mentioned in the filing is an outdoor amphitheater overlooking the Potomac River.
A Kennedy Center spokesperson described demolition as a hypothetical outcome if the renovation does not proceed.
The board and Trump, who became its chairman in February 2025, want to close most of the center’s performance venues for two years and spend at least $250 million on renovations. The board has characterized the building as poorly managed and in serious need of repairs.
The dispute is part of a lawsuit filed by Rep. Joyce Beatty, an Ohio Democrat and ex officio board member. Beatty is seeking to prevent the board, whose current members were largely appointed by Trump, from restoring Trump’s name to the complex.
The latest proposal would add Trump’s name to the entrance twice and at a third location on the grounds. It would identify the building as the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts and credit Trump with its restoration and renovation.
The proposed sign would also refer to a Trump Kennedy Center Fund if it receives $100 million in donations. The surrounding grounds would be renamed President Donald J. Trump Plaza.
U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper ruled in May that the board acted unlawfully when it renamed the institution the Trump Kennedy Center in December. Cooper determined that Congress named the center as a memorial to President John F. Kennedy and that only Congress could formally change its name.
The board has said it will not restore Trump’s name before Sept. 8.
Meeting records submitted to the court provide the first detailed public look at the renovation process. They show that the board received advice from construction and real estate consultants, including Delta Consulting Group and JLL.
However, the publicly available records do not indicate that the board consulted arts administrators, acoustic specialists or performers. The center regularly hosts orchestras, opera companies, dancers and other performers whose work depends heavily on specialized acoustics.
The full renovation plans and Delta’s complete report remain under seal.
Source: NPR