Commission of Fine Arts approved $400 million ballroom project, Trump says

Feb 19 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday said the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts approved his $400 million White House ballroom project, bringing the massive undertaking a step closer to full approval.

The Fine Arts Commission and the National Capital Planning Commission are the two federal bodies responsible for overseeing key D.C.-area projects.

Trump replaced all six members of the Fine Arts Commission last year, while his former personal lawyer, Will Scharf, chairs the planning commission.

"The Commission of Fine Arts just approved, unanimously, 6 to 0, with one recusal because he had a conflict in that he worked professionally on the job, the White House Ballroom," Trump announced Thursday on Truth Social. "Great accolades were paid to the building’s beauty and scale."

The planning commission said it would consider the 90,000-sq-foot (8,000-sq-m) addition to the White House's East Wing for "approval of preliminary and final site and building plans" on March 5.

However, federal courts are also scrutinizing the project. A judge last month expressed skepticism that the administration had the authority to move forward with construction after the previous building was demolished without approval by Congress.