Kennedy Center Board Votes for Immediate Two-Year Closure Amid Safety and Financial Concerns
The Kennedy Center board, appointed by President Trump, approved an immediate shutdown of the venue for renovations, citing structural hazards and severe fiscal strain, while a federal judge blocked the board's effort to add Trump's name to the building.
The board of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts voted on Tuesday to close the venue immediately for a two-year renovation period, citing safety risks after a partial ceiling collapse in the Grand Foyer and a dire financial outlook. A construction consultant and the center’s director described the main building as unsafe for continued occupancy and warned of further risk to the public and staff if operations continued.
The decision follows a recent federal court ruling that rejected the board’s proposal to place President Donald J. Trump’s name on the center’s façade, a measure the board argued was needed to secure funding and prevent bankruptcy. U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper affirmed that any memorial or naming at the Kennedy Center requires congressional approval, and he expressed skepticism about the board’s claim that donor contributions depend on the name change.
Rep. Joyce Beatty, an ex-officio board member, has challenged the closure plan in court, arguing that the board did not conduct sufficient due diligence and that portions of the center might remain open during renovations. The board had originally scheduled a July 5 closure, but legal disputes have delayed repairs.
President Trump, who serves as the board’s chairman, joined the closed-door meeting virtually and criticized both Rep. Beatty and the judge’s order prohibiting the name addition, according to a source familiar with the proceedings.
In a draft resolution filed with the court, the board described the center’s fiscal position as “precarious,” stating that it could soon be unable to meet payroll and maintenance obligations. The document noted that only President Trump could provide the necessary financial rescue, contingent on recognition of his contributions on the building’s exterior.
The judge’s ruling highlighted that the center already has access to $257 million appropriated by Congress for capital improvements and that recent renaming efforts coincided with declines in revenue and artist participation. Beatty praised the ruling, saying the law clearly reserves the Kennedy Center’s name for President John F. Kennedy and that attempts to attach President Trump’s name constitute an unlawful hold on the institution.