President Donald Trump’s D.C. renovation projects could end up costing more than $1 billion. The renovations are expected to be funded through a combination of private donations and taxpayer money.
A new report estimates that Donald Trump’s Washington, DC, renovation projects could exceed $1 billion
According to a Financial Times investigation, the total cost could go beyond earlier estimates, with the White House ballroom and its security accounting for close to $800 million. The overall cost is expected to be covered by a mix of private and public funds, with Trump stating that tech giants, including Amazon, Apple, and Meta, will contribute to the ballroom.
People reports that the White House’s East Wing, which was constructed in 1902, was unexpectedly demolished in October 2025 with plans for a new ballroom, offices, and an underground military facility, though the design has yet to be finalized.
The ballroom, which is expected to be nearly three times the size of the White House residence, is projected to cost about $400 million. This is twice the original estimate. Trump also reportedly awarded a no-bid contract worth up to $500 million to a construction company involved in the project. According to the report, taxpayers will fund the ballroom’s security through the Secret Service budget, costing up to approximately $397 million.
The National Garden of American Heroes is also in development, featuring iconic Americans such as Muhammad Ali and Walt Disney, and is estimated to cost $40 million, per the Financial Times. The project is expected to be completed by January 2029, ahead of the next presidential inauguration.
In July 2025, the White House announced that construction of the White House ballroom would begin in September 2025. It stated that the construction team would be led by Clark Construction, while the engineering team would be headed by AECOM.
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