Kennedy Center Remains Closed Amid Ongoing Safety Assessment
An internal email indicates the performing arts center will stay shut as officials evaluate building safety, with no clear reopening date.
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts will remain temporarily closed as an ongoing safety assessment determines when it can reopen, according to an internal email sent to staff this week.
Matt Floca, the center's executive director and chief operating officer, stated in the email, obtained by ABC News, that the building is undergoing an "emergency egress assessment" of its overhanging soffits. This evaluation is intended to "determine whether, and under what conditions, the building can safely support occupants and be evacuated," particularly as certain exits might be blocked during soffit repairs.
Floca indicated that the assessment is expected to take one to two weeks, but emphasized that this timeline refers only to the safety evaluation and not a reopening date. "The immediate safety determination is separate from the scope and schedule of the broader renovation program," he wrote.
Access to the building's main corridors, including the Hall of States, Hall of Nations, and Grand Foyer, requires specific authorization and the use of safety equipment such as hard hats. However, wearing protective gear does not automatically permit entry, Floca clarified.
The U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper, who had previously blocked a planned two-year renovation closure in May, requested an update on the center's status by Friday. Floca is expected to provide the judge with the same information shared in his internal email.
Last week, Floca cited "documented hazards" within the building and corrosion on the exterior soffits in a court filing. Previously, Cooper ruled that the center's board had not adequately considered the financial and programming impacts when voting to close the facility for renovations in March.
The Justice Department has asked Cooper to dissolve his earlier order, allowing renovations to proceed, but a ruling on that motion is still pending. Separately, former President Donald Trump has appealed the judge's decision preventing his name from being added back to the building.
In a recent interview with TIME magazine, Trump expressed concerns about the center's condition, suggesting his administration should be credited for intervention. He declined to commit to not demolishing the center without congressional consent, stating, "I'm not committing to anything. We're going to see how it plays out in court."