Trump says $200 million Kennedy Center ‘maintenance’ won’t mean ‘ripping it down’

President Donald Trump said on Monday his extensive, “fully financed” renovations to the Kennedy Center, estimated to cost $200 million, will not include fully tearing down the venue.

“I’m not ripping it down. I’ll be using the steel,” he told reporters in the Oval Office. “So, we’re using the structure, we’re using some of the marble, and some of the marble comes down. But when it’s open, it’ll be brand new and really beautiful.”

On Sunday, Trump announced that he will close the performing arts center for two years, starting July 4, to allow time for major renovations. He described the building’s current state as “tired, broken, and dilapidated.”

NOTUS acquired more details on the project from a White House official, who said the “building maintenance”