Kennedy Center fenced off after board votes to close main building for repairs
A fence was erected around the Kennedy Center's main building following a board decision to shut most of the venue for safety repairs, prompting a Democratic trustee to seek an emergency court order to halt what she called an unlawful closure.
Fencing was installed on Wednesday around the main structure of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts after the board, which includes members aligned with President Donald Trump, voted to close most of the facility for repairs. The decision came a day after a federal judge barred the center from adding Trump’s name to the building.
Rep. Joyce Beatty, an Ohio Democrat who serves ex officio on the board, filed an emergency petition in federal court, describing the shutdown as "unlawful" and seeking to keep the venue open to the public. Beatty has previously opposed the plan to rename the center and add a Trump inscription.
Kennedy Center spokesperson Roma Daravi, who did not respond to interview requests, posted on social media that the closure was necessary after a portion of a ceiling collapsed in a main hallway earlier this month, citing long-standing infrastructure problems.
The board’s August vote had approved proposals to rename the center’s façade and plaza after Trump, contingent on a $100 million fundraising goal. U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper rejected those proposals on Tuesday, ruling that any name change requires congressional approval.
Activists from the group Hands Off the Arts expressed concern that the closure could lead to further demolition of the building, though no official plans for demolition have been announced.