Donald Trump’s bid to repaint the historic Eisenhower Executive Office Building (EEOB) has received a legal challenge from preservationists.
While Trump wants to paint it white to beautify the building, opponents have pushed back. They claim that the administration is attempting to bypass the federal preservation law.
The legal challenge seeks to stop paint testing while courts review Donald Trump’s proposed overhaul of the landmark
Preservation groups have asked for an emergency injunction to stop the U.S. President from going forward with the repainting project. According to Cultural Heritage Partners, the paint testing is part of a larger scheme of things. Trump wants the EEOB to be painted white after he called it “ugly”.
The administration had earlier noted they will comply with federal historic preservation and environmental laws. The group also claimed that the project’s jurisdiction has been passed from the General Services Administration to the White House Office of Administration unfairly. According to People, the move is reportedly an attempt to avoid the public review process required under federal law.
“The issue has never been whether the building should be studied,” the planned filing states. “The issue is whether the White House can conduct that testing—and ultimately alter one of America’s most important historic buildings—without following the process Congress established to protect historic places and ensure the public has a voice.”
Greg Werkheiser, founding partner of Cultural Heritage Partners, has warned that allowing the building to be repainted will have broader repercussions. According to him, it will set a dangerous precedent around the modification of any historic properties.
The lawsuit is the latest effort to block Trump’s renovation plan for the EEOB, an 1888 National Historic Landmark. Currently, the building houses offices of the vice president and roughly 1,500 executive branch employees. Experts have also warned that applying a silicate coating will affect the strength of the structure and lead to repeated maintenance efforts.
Trump, however, has revealed that the building is currently “ugly” and has the potential to be beautified into an elegant version.
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