Planning Commission Clears Work on White House Ballroom, Commanders Stadium

NewsProjectsBuildings Planning Commission Clears Work on White House Ballroom, Commanders Stadium Court order remains in effect halting construction of new ballroom By Jim Parsons Rendering courtesy Washington Commanders In addition to approving the White House Ballroom plans, the commission also signed off on the HKS-designed stadium for the NFL's Washington Commanders, set for the site of what was once RFK Stadium. April 6, 2026 Washington, D.C.’s regional planning board endorsed President Donald Trump’s White House ballroom on April 2, completing a controversial process amid a court-ordered halt to construction on $400-million project.The 12-member National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC), responsible for approving construction on federal property in the Washington region, approved the plan by a near-unanimous vote following minor staff-recommended modifications to the design initially considered in March. The NCPC’s Trump-appointed chair, Will Scharf, justified proceeding with the vote to move the plan forward, saying that the March 31 court order did not extend to the project’s review process. Scharf, who also serves as White House staff secretary, was one of three Trump-appointed NCPC members who joined five other commissioners to approve the plan, despite the largely negative response among the more than 35,000 comments submitted by the general public, historic preservations and design professionals. Scharf in his prepared comments that the opposition was more ag...