Thursday’s votes are the first step in the commission’s review process; updated designs for all three projects must return for a second hearing before any final vote. Both the arch and the proposed EEOB paint job are the subjects of active federal litigation.
The U.S. Commission of Fine Arts approved the design concept Thursday for President Donald Trump’s proposed 250-foot Triumphal Arch at an entrance to the nation’s capital, advancing the monument through its first formal review even as the commission’s own secretary reported that about 1,000 written comments submitted to the agency all opposed the project.
The Trump-appointed commission also gave concept approval to two companion projects: a plan to paint the historic granite exterior of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building white and the construction of an underground security screening center beneath Sherman Park for White House visitors and tourists.
Thursday’s votes represent the first step in the commission’s review process. Updated designs for all three projects must return for a second hearing before the commission takes any final votes.
The Arch
The proposed arch would rise 250 feet from its base to a torch held aloft by a Lady Liberty-like figure, according to the commission presentation. The figure would be flanked by two eagles and guarded at the base by four lions, all gilded. The phrases “One Nation Under God” and “Liberty and Justice for All” would be inscribed in gold lettering atop either side of the monument, with a public observation deck on top offering 360-degree views.
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum pitched the project in a statement he personally delivered at the meeting, saying that long-standing plans for Columbia Island — the federal land where the arch would be sited — had originally called for a monument. Burgum said the plot had become a “barren” and “grass-covered” traffic circle. His department oversees the National Park Service, which manages the Columbia Island land.
At 250 feet, the arch would stand more than 150 feet taller than the Lincoln Memorial, which is 99 feet high. The Washington Monument is about 555 feet tall.
White House spokesperson Davis Ingle said the concept approval was “another step in accomplishing President Trump’s promise to the American people from the campaign trail — to Make America Safe and Beautiful Again.”
Public Opposition and Litigation
Three of four people who delivered in-person comment at the meeting opposed the arch. Commission secretary Thomas Luebke said the agency had received about 1,000 written comments, all opposing the project.
A group of veterans and a historian has sued in federal court to block construction, arguing the arch would disrupt the sightline between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington House at Arlington National Cemetery, among other grounds.
Commission Vice Chairman’s Suggested Changes
Commission vice chairman James McCrery II said he preferred the arch without the Lady Liberty-like figure and eagles on top, a change that would reduce the structure’s height by about 80 feet. McCrery also objected to the lions at the base, saying they are “not a beast natural to the North American continent.”
McCrery also expressed opposition to a planned underground tunnel for pedestrian access to the arch.
Eisenhower Executive Office Building Paint Job
Trump has expressed dissatisfaction with the gray granite exterior of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, which sits across a driveway from the West Wing. “It’s one of the most beautiful buildings anywhere in Washington,” he said last year. “I think it’s just incredible, but you have to get past the color because the stone they used was a really bad color.”
The White House presented two proposals to the commission: paint the entire building bright white, or paint most of it white while leaving the granite exposed on the basement and subbasement levels. A White House official said the administration prefers the option of painting the entire building. Officials said the exterior is in “great disrepair” and that experts consulted could not guarantee a cleaning would improve its condition.
Public comment, both written and in person, was 100% against the proposed paint job. Opponents argued that painting would harm the granite and would not resolve the underlying condition problem; others said the building is architecturally significant as it stands.
The building, which opened in 1888, is a National Historic Landmark and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The proposed paint job is the subject of federal litigation. White House officials must return at a future commission meeting with results from paint testing.
Commissioner Chamberlain Harris — who also serves as Trump’s deputy director of Oval Office Operations — said painting the building white to match the White House would create a “homogenous environment” and help foster a “sense of belonging” for White House staff.
Underground Screening Center
The U.S. Secret Service, Interior Department, National Park Service, and Executive Office of the President are seeking to construct a 33,000-square-foot underground facility beneath Sherman Park, southwest of the White House. The center would provide modern security screening for White House visitors and tourists, with seven lanes to reduce wait times.
Officials said construction is planned to begin in August, with the facility operational by July 2028 — six months before Trump’s term ends.