The newest twist in the drama around the Kennedy Center: Donald Trump is once again trying to shut the place down. The New York Times reports that the board, led by the president and largely consisting of loyalists, has voted on a resolution to close down the building for renovations.
The decision is not yet final, as federal Judge Christopher R. Cooper still has to approve the shutdown, after previously blocking the board’s attempt to proceed with renovations in May. Then, the judge said that the board had not seriously considered the consequences of closing the center, with Kennedy Center officials promising to do so prior to this newest resolution. The resolution claims that keeping the main building open during renovations would be too expensive.
The Kennedy Center has become a lightning rod for attention during Trump’s second administration, as numerous artists and groups have canceled performances at the Center since Trump’s takeover, leading to the theory that Trump wants to close the building to reduce his embarrassment over those cancellations.
The proposed renovations of the Kennedy Center, carrying an estimated price tag of $250, includes structural repair work, the installation of new marble floors, and $11.8 million in “acoustical improvements,” per the Times.
Judge Cooper’s May ruling was only one of many recent legal blows Trump’s received in connection to the Kennedy Center. Just this week, the center was ordered to pay over $250,000 in legal fees to jazz drummer Chuck Redd, following a lawsuit over Redd canceling his Christmas concert.
