Most of Kennedy Center in US to close for repairs after court ruling
In Washington, US, the board of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts voted on September 15 to close most of the complex for safety repairs. This came hours after a federal judge for the second time blocked an attempt to return US President Donald Trump’s name to the building.
As France 24 English reports, Trump said on social media that the closure was necessary for repair work. According to him, the repairs, for which Congress allocated $257 million, will be carried out only if the board is allowed to implement a plan to add his name to the building.
Court injunction
US District Judge Christopher Cooper ruled that representatives of the Kennedy Center cannot install commemorative signs honoring Trump or anyone else without congressional approval. In May, the court had already found the previous placement of Trump’s name on the building unlawful and ordered it removed. In June, the institution’s management complied with the ruling, but tarpaulins and scaffolding remained where the inscription had been.
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The US Department of Justice appealed the latest court ruling. Trump, whom board members loyal to him appointed chair of the Kennedy Center last year, took part in the board’s virtual meeting. He also said that he had donated $17 million to the institution’s support fund.
Repairs and inscriptions
The complex’s executives had stated the need for a large-scale reconstruction of the building, whose construction began in 1965. Earlier this month, part of the ceiling in the main corridor collapsed, intensifying calls for repairs. Board member Brian Ballard said that the structure was not designed for long-term operation.
In August, the board voted to place an inscription on the facade about the restoration and reconstruction of the Kennedy Center by President Donald Trump, as well as to rename the square in front of the complex in his honor. Administration lawyers had previously told the court that without recognizing Trump’s role, the Center would find it difficult to raise funds for repairs; in their view, without funding, the building may need to be demolished because of its dangerous condition.
