The Kennedy Center’s new leadership is using guided access to parts of the aging Washington venue to make its case to lawmakers ahead of a scheduled two-year shutdown that begins in July. Matt Floca, the Kennedy Center’s executive director and chief operating officer, is leading tours that participants have been taken through to document what the institution describes as damage and needed work, including issues tied to water infiltration and components around expansion joints, marble surfaces, and outdoor pavers.
The tours began earlier this month while Congress was in recess, with staff for a bipartisan group of lawmakers participating in the sessions. Participants included staff for Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, as well as a representative for Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser, according to the Associated Press account. Roma Daravi, a Kennedy Center spokesperson, said working with both parties was a “top priority” as the institution implements President Donald Trump’s vision for the renovation.
Beyond the Democratic leadership teams, the tour attendance also included representatives connected to other members of Congress and political leaders. The Associated Press reported that the recent access included representatives for Senate Majority Leader John Thune, Sens. Shelley Moore Capito, Mark Warner, Susan Collins and Sheldon Whitehouse, along with Reps. Sam Graves and Rick Larsen. A key element of the effort is that participants are being shown infrastructure areas and support spaces that the Kennedy Center says need repairs, including water and HVAC systems, parking garages, and loading docks.
In a statement, Floca said that “as the July closure approaches, the Trump Kennedy Center is leading with transparency and making sure Congress and the public understand what’s at stake and why the work can’t wait,” the Associated Press reported. The story also said that none of the participants discussed the tour on the record, and Floca is expected to provide additional tours for lawmakers themselves and members of the media in the weeks ahead.
The Kennedy Center’s July closure has become a focal point of political and legal conflict. The Associated Press said that the institution, long viewed as one of Washington’s relatively apolitical spaces, has drawn controversy during Trump’s second term, including after Trump ousted the previous leadership and replaced it with a handpicked board. The president also added his name to the building’s facade and shifted programming toward events and productions aligned with Trump, including the premiere of first lady Melania Trump’s documentary “Melania,” according to the Associated Press account.
Supporters and critics both agree the building needs maintenance, but they dispute what the renovation should involve and whether the review process should follow the usual course for major projects. The Associated Press reported that critics argue the more substantial changes Trump has hinted at should go through typical review processes, while the Kennedy Center is positioning the planned closure as necessary to complete work it says cannot wait. Trump has suggested changes could be so extensive that steel supporting the structure could be “fully exposed,” according to the Associated Press story.
A lawsuit filed last month against Trump, the Kennedy Center and others in the administration argues that proposed work would cause irreversible damage to the historic building. The Associated Press reported that the complaint says “Demolition, new construction, major reconstruction, major renovation, or major aesthetic transformation of the Kennedy Center would permanently destroy historic fabric, degrade the monumental core’s vistas and public grounds, and compromise the Kennedy Center’s memorial purpose and architectural integrity, causing permanent, irreversible harm that no subsequent remedy can fully undo.”
As the closure approaches, the Kennedy Center is continuing to host performances while it moves into what the Associated Press described as a critical period that will include staff reductions. The Associated Press reported that “Chicago” is among the shows currently running, with “Moulin Rouge! The Musical” scheduled from June 18 through July 5, and comedian Bill Maher slated to receive the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor on June 28 just before the closure begins. The Kennedy Center’s renovation plan also sits within a broader push by Trump to reshape prominent structures in Washington, including a separate legal fight over plans to alter the White House.
At the same time, the Kennedy Center has said it is already working with Congress on financing for repair work. The Associated Press reported that Trump secured nearly $257 million from Congress to repair the Kennedy Center, and that those opposing the closure have not disputed the need for routine maintenance and repairs.