Historic Preservation Lawsuits

U.S. District Judge Richard Leon on Tuesday denied the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s request for a temporary restraining order to halt demolition and construction of a planned White House East Wing ballroom, but barred for two weeks any below‑ground work that would determine the ballroom’s final placement or footprint, with violations subject to removal. He also ordered the government to submit construction drawings to the National Capital Planning Commission by year‑end and set a preliminary injunction hearing for the second week of January; the administration, citing Secret Service warnings that a pause would undermine protective operations, says above‑grade work is not expected to begin until April and will provide draft plans to the NCPC and the Commission of Fine Arts.