WASHINGTON, DC | Development News

[patriotizzy]

^^^^
POG! Can't wait to see the ballroom completed.

[202_Cyclist]

Originally Posted by patriotizzy

^^^^
POG! Can't wait to see the ballroom completed.

If it is so amazing, why is this corrupt regime prohibiting photos of the destruction of the East Wing?

https://bsky.app/profile/joshtpm.bsky.social/post/3m3qwrpcf2k2q

[Illithid Dude]

Of all the horrendous things Trump has done, this bothers me the least. The White House has undergone so many massive alterations over the years, and the East Wing was of little to no historical or aesthetic importance. If it wasn't Trump doing this, and perhaps if the actual architecture was just slightly less tacky, I don't think anybody would care.

[k1052]

Originally Posted by Illithid Dude

Of all the horrendous things Trump has done, this bothers me the least. The White House has undergone so many massive alterations over the years, and the East Wing was of little to no historical or aesthetic importance. If it wasn't Trump doing this, and perhaps if the actual architecture was just slightly less tacky, I don't think anybody would care.

The current iteration of the East Wing was built mostly to hide a bunker. I'm not really all that attached to it personally but ripping it down to build the tackiest Queens wedding hall that ever existed paid for with corruption sucks pretty bad. Just look at what's happening in the West Wing as far as decor goes and tell me that it's not gonna be that.

Anyway if I was the present dictator of America I'd instead build the Truman era West Wing expansion that was proposed but never carried out.

https://ghostsofdc.org/2013/11/25/trumans-proposed-extension-west-wing/

[Busy Bee]

What bothers me most about this spectacle isn't so much that a new special function space is being built. Yes it's gross that it could very well turn out gawdy and he will be forever remembered as the one who did it and I have no doubt there will be some sort of gold plated shrine in the new ballroom giving der fuhrer all the credit, but like the courtyard replacing the Rose Garden lawn, you can make reasonable arguments for why an outdoor space used for what it's used for should sensibly be a hard decorative surface and not soggy grass. Much like you can make a sensible defense of the real need to have additional special function space at the White House and an underutilized wing seems like a logical candidate to be upgraded.

No, it's not those things. It's the bull-in-a-china-shop way they are going about it. A person with a modicum of respect and reverence for not only his office, but for the deep symbolism and historic meaning for the White House and grounds have to the American people, would have made an effort to make the construction work visually look less barbarous. My first thought as I looked at historic divided light windows being smashed by an end loader was why they hell weren't they carefully deconstructing this structure? They are tearing it down without a shred of sensitivity that this building isn't an old McDonalds or some public housing that's at the end of it's life, it's the fucking White House. The bare minimum should have seen a black shroud and scaffolding surrounding the structure and workers methodically removing high quality materials of historic usefulness like the slate roof and windows that I'm sure many a museum would have love to have. It should have been quiet and not look and sound like that crew that ripped apart that old house in The Money Pit. Dump could have even had the netting have graphics that announced what "amazing improvement to the White House" was coming with the demolition. You would think that some asshole that's spent his entire life doing self-promotion and real estate marketing would understand that smartly promoting and handling the work like that maybe would have alleviated some of the horror that the scene has conveyed. It's a metaphor galore.

[202_Cyclist]

What bothers me is shaking down companies to pay $250M in bribes for this ballroom. The companies aren't paying this out of the goodness of their hearts. They expect favors for paying tribute to Dear Leader.

[k1052]

Originally Posted by Busy Bee

but like the courtyard replacing the Rose Garden lawn, you can make reasonable arguments for why an outdoor space used for what it's used for should sensibly be a hard decorative surface and not soggy grass.

Something else that ended up looking like shit. I wasn't opposed to the idea actually of replacing the grass but his taste ruins everything he touches.

[202_Cyclist]

Originally Posted by k1052

The current iteration of the East Wing was built mostly to hide a bunker. I'm not really all that attached to it personally but ripping it down to build the tackiest Queens wedding hall that ever existed paid for with corruption sucks pretty bad. Just look at what's happening in the West Wing as far as decor goes and tell me that it's not gonna be that.

Anyway if I was the present dictator of America I'd instead build the Truman era West Wing expansion that was proposed but never carried out.

https://ghostsofdc.org/2013/11/25/trumans-proposed-extension-west-wing/

Things aren't looking promising for this, folks.

https://bsky.app/profile/atrupar.com/post/3m3ss44pc7t2g

[202_Cyclist]

"The 'president's' main priority"



Source: https://bsky.app/profile/rezekjoe.bsky.social/post/3m3uwy5f6rk2v

[FoldingBoxes]

To me, the model and drawings of the exterior of the "ballroom" are a joke. The "classical" elements are just glued on. If they're anything but poured molds in the real thing the building will cost a lot more than $250 million, just to hold them up. <br>

But that's how contractors work: give a ridiculous low bid and a fancy drawing, then blame the subs when the real price shows up.

I find it hard to believe the place will be a "ballroom" for more than a few years. Eventually, it will become two or three floors of office space. Maybe it will be good for that.

[202_Cyclist]

Zoning Commission Approves 230-Unit Development At Brookland Metro Station

By Urban Turf
Oct. 24, 2025


Rendering courtesy of Urban Turf.

"A large residential project that has been in the works for years at the Brookland Metro station received a key approval on Thursday.

The DC Zoning Commission approved the plans from Horning and The Menkiti Group for a 230-unit apartment building at 901 Monroe Street NE. The project, designed by Maurice Walters Architect, will feature a mix of studio, one-bedroom, two-bedroom and three-bedroom apartments, as well as 54 parking spaces.

It has been a 13-year road for a development at this site. In 2012, the Zoning Commission approved a 212-unit development for the Monroe Street address, a decision that was fiercely opposed by residents living near the proposed project, who took their case to the DC Court of Appeals..."

https://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blog/z...lopment_at_brookland_metro_station/23999

[Busy Bee]

Originally Posted by FoldingBoxes

I find it hard to believe the place will be a "ballroom" for more than a few years. Eventually, it will become two or three floors of office space. Maybe it will be good for that.

Future Führerbunker perhaps?

[202_Cyclist]

Everything is awful these days, so of course the new Navy Museum and the mixed-use waterfront development won't be built.

Navy Secretary Withdraws from Navy Museum Land Swap

Capitol Hill Corner
Oct. 24, 2025

"Secretary of Navy John Phelan has withdrawn the Navy from the land swap agreement it forged with the DC city government announced last year to construct a “National Museum of the United States Navy” near the Navy Yard.

This news came from former Secretary of the Navy, Kenneth Braithwaite, who serves as the chair of the Naval Museum Development Foundation, as first reported in Tuesday Tidings, the newsletter of the National Maritime Historical Society. See the October 21, 2025 edition of the newsletter here: https://seahistory.org/education/navyhistory/)

During a Q&A session in last week’s annual “Congress” of the Naval Order of the United States held in Philadelphia, Braithwaite announced that Secretary Phelan has pulled the Navy out of the deal for construction of the long-awaited museum, halting his fundraising efforts pending identification of a new site. The Navy had expected to open the museum by 2030..."

https://capitolhillcorner.org/2025/10/24/navy-secretary-withdraws-from-navy-museum-land-swap/

[202_Cyclist]

Originally Posted by Busy Bee

Future Führerbunker perhaps?

It looks like you nailed it.

https://bsky.app/profile/ronfilipkowski.bsky.social/post/3m45arpc3ms2d

[202_Cyclist]

Up To 110 Apartments Pitched For Van Ness Burger King Site And Adjacent Properties

Urban Turf
Nov. 20, 2025


Photo courtesy of Urban Turf.

"A large new apartment project could be in the works for one of the most recognizable properties in DC's Van Ness neighborhood.

Highcrest, a DC–based developer, presented plans to ANC 3F earlier this week for a redevelopment of the former Rock ’n’ Roll Burger King site (map) and two other properties along Connecticut Avenue into an apartment community with upwards of 110 units.

The development would essentially be located across three sites. At the site of the parking structure adjacent to Burger King along Yuma Street, Highcrest proposes a 65-unit building, with 20% of units designated as affordable. At the Burger King site and the parking lot behind it, a new building could bring another 45 apartments..."

https://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blog/u..._burger_king_site_and_adjacent_pro/24091

[shakman]

Originally Posted by patriotizzy

^^^^
POG! Can't wait to see the ballroom completed.

Me too!!!

[202_Cyclist]

A First Look At The Concept For Washington Commanders Stadium

January 15, 2026
Urban Turf


Rendering courtesy of Urban Turf.

"The Washington Commanders and global architecture and design firm HKS have unveiled the first images for the football team's new 65,000 seat stadium. Check out the renderings below.

The renderings show a domed stadium with a classical feel. "Every design decision is guided by the significance of place – shaped by its local, regional and national history and generations of memories rooted in RFK Stadium,” Mark A. Williams, FAIA, HKS Global Venues Director, said in a statement. “Monumental in presence, grounded in the L'Enfant Plan and scaled to the urban fabric of the District, the stadium design will be a bold civic landmark that carries the city’s architectural legacy forward in a way that is confident, dynamic and unmistakably Washington, DC...”

https://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blog/a...-for-washington-commanders-stadium/24220

[patriotizzy]

^^^^

Damn! Washington Commanders Stadium looks so clean and monumental. Love the verticality of the facade. I wonder if the facade is natural stone or prefabricated material.

It being labeled a concept is slightly disappointing but if this is a starting design point, then it's setting a promising precedent.

[202_Cyclist]

DC Picks Team To Redevelop Chevy Chase Library And Community Center

January 16, 2026
Urban Turf


Rendering courtesy of Urban Turf.

"After years of discussions and planning, and hours of debate, a team has been picked to redevelop the Chevy Chase library and community center.

On Friday, Mayor Bowser announced that Rift Valley Partners had been picked out of eight proposals to redevelop the site at 5601 and 5625 Connecticut Avenue NW.

Rift Valley Partners' proposal will include a 177-unit building consisting of affordable, workforce and market-rate housing, along with a new community center and library. This proposal also includes a number of outdoor components, including an amphitheater, outdoor classroom, several sports courts and neighborhood retail. Studios Architecture led the design for the project..."

https://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blog/d...chase_library_and_community_center/24227

[202_Cyclist]

Well, no performances at the Kennedy Center for two years.

https://bsky.app/profile/ronfilipkowski.bsky.social/post/3mdtjmrgs3c2k