The arts center’s board of directors is scheduled to meet in mid-July to vote on the direction of the $258 million renovation project, while remaining open under a court order.
President Trump’s name removed from Kennedy Center over deadline
Donald Trump’s name has been removed from the Kennedy Center after employees followed a judge’s order to remove the president’s sign past the deadline.
WASHINGTON – Is the Kennedy Center still open?
That’s what a federal judge ordered, and what the arts center’s board of directors, made up mostly of supporters of President Donald Trump, said is the same thing happening. But don’t expect to see “Les Misérables” anytime soon.
The building’s facade remains covered with a tarp after U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper ordered the removal of Trump’s name. Cooper also ordered the center to remain open beyond its scheduled July 5 closing date for two years of renovations, but it is unclear when performances will resume.
Matt Floca, executive director and chief operating officer, said in a court filing that the center will “maintain its operating model beyond July 5 and provide continued public access.”
“Education and community support programs will also be maintained,” Floca said. “Given the current uncertainty regarding future plans, management has postponed any aggressive long-term planning or staffing adjustments until the board selects a final operating policy.”
The drama surrounding the Kennedy Center, beyond the performances that take place inside, began after Congress approved $258 million in renovations to the building. The center’s board of directors added President Trump’s name to its facade and website after he made the project one of his priorities.
However, the change prompted a lawsuit from Rep. Joyce Beatty (D-Ohio), who serves on the board of directors, because Congress named it the Kennedy Center in the act establishing it in 1964.
Prior to the construction project, the Kennedy Center had announced performances of “Back to the Future” and “Mrs. Doubtfire” in July and August. However, the board subsequently decided to suspend all production due to renovation work.
Under Mr. Cooper’s order, the center’s administrators plan to meet with the board of directors in mid-July to vote on how to proceed with construction, according to a June 19 Justice Department filing. Options include no programming, closing portions of the building to allow for limited programming, or scheduling a limited series of closures around the building while programming continues in its entirety.
“Center management currently plans to maintain its operating model beyond July 5, the originally scheduled closure date of the Center and its building,” the Justice Department filing states. “The center continues to prepare for additional capital repairs and construction activities.”
Legal battle over adding Donald Trump’s name continues
Meanwhile, court appeals over Trump’s name removal are progressing smoothly.
The actual removal of Trump’s name from the facade was completed in the early morning hours of June 13, after Cooper’s deadline the day before. However, the facade of the building remains hidden behind curtains while the marble walls are being repaired.
Lawyers for the Justice Department asked the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit for an emergency order to halt the removal of Trump’s name. Although initially denied, the request to restore Trump’s name remains.
Government lawyers argued that without his name on the building, fundraising from companies that donated millions of dollars would “not only cease, but all funds raised or donated would be obligated to be returned, refunded, or discontinued.”
In a June 22 filing, Beatty’s lawyers called the appeal “frivolous” and “ridiculous” and argued that President Trump cannot withhold funding because the name was removed from the building.
“If a trustee is prevented by a court from violating the law, the trustee cannot create a poison pill to sabotage the trust,” the filing states.
