Fencing Erected Around Kennedy Center Following Board Vote to Close Building

Fencing has been placed around the main building of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., a day after its board voted to close most of the performing arts center for repairs. Rep. Joyce Beatty, D-Ohio, an ex officio trustee, has requested an emergency court hearing to prevent what she described as an "unlawful closing."

The board's Tuesday vote followed a federal judge's decision to block the institution from renaming the building in honor of President Donald Trump. Trump had stated on social media that the closure was necessary for safety repairs, adding that these repairs, funded by $257 million allocated by Congress, would only proceed if the board's plan to add his name to the building was approved.

Activists opposing the closure reported no vehicle or pedestrian access to the building on Wednesday. An Associated Press reporter was informed by a security guard that the building was closed.

Beatty's legal team filed a court document stating that a staff member was denied entry to the building and was told it was closed to the public. The filing raised concerns that "immediate steps" might be taken to "make public access practically impossible for the foreseeable future, including by demolishing public avenues of access to the building, and thereby evade the court’s order."

U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper has ordered the Kennedy Center to respond to Beatty's motion by Thursday morning and indicated he would schedule a prompt hearing if necessary. Cooper had previously ruled in May that the Kennedy Center had illegally added Trump's name to the building, ordering its removal, which the institution's leaders complied with in June.

Trump, appointed chairman of the Kennedy Center last year by loyal board members, claimed on social media Tuesday to have contributed $17 million to an endowment for the institution. While campaigning in North Carolina on Wednesday, Trump asserted that his efforts to restore the aging building warrant recognition, stating it is in "very, very bad shape, very dangerous shape" and risks being torn down if not addressed.

Roma Daravi, a spokesperson for the Kennedy Center, did not respond to requests for comment but wrote on social media that the building's closure is essential for safety reasons. She cited a recent partial ceiling collapse in a main hallway of the 55-year-old building as evidence of "systemic infrastructure failures from decades of neglect" that necessitate immediate closure. She added that Chairman Trump continues to support the institution while legal battles impede repair progress.

In August, the Kennedy Center board had voted to inscribe Trump's name on the facade as "The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Restored and Renovated By President Donald J. Trump." An additional inscription would have been added if the "Trump Kennedy Center Fund" reached $100 million, and the plaza in front of the center was also slated for renaming in his honor. Cooper shot down these proposals Tuesday, ruling that they could not proceed "without Congress's blessing."

Maria Shriver, niece of John F. Kennedy, described the standoff over the name as a "sad state of affairs" and a "tragedy," suggesting Trump's persistent focus on associating his name with the building is misplaced, particularly "while a war rages under your leadership."