President Donald Trump said he won’t tear down the Kennedy Center as part of his newly announced renovation of the cultural landmark, but will take down “some” of the building’s iconic marble when construction starts later this year.
Trump told reporters on Monday he expects the project, which the president first announced in a social media post on Sunday, will cost at least $200 million. He added that his renovation will maintain the building’s steel frame and “some of the marble” that currently encases the building.
“I’m not ripping it down,” Trump said. “I’ll be using the steel. So we’re using the structure. We’re using some of the marble, and some of the marble comes down. But when it’s open, it’ll be brand new and really beautiful.”
