The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., will be closed for two years for renovations, President Trump announced over the weekend.
President Trump says the closure will enable faster and better renovations.
"This important decision, based on input from many Highly Respected Experts, will take a tired, broken, and dilapidated Center, one that has been in bad condition, both financially and structurally for many years, and turn it into a World Class Bastion of Arts, Music, and Entertainment," the president wrote on social media.
The closure would begin on July 4 and cost some $200 million, the president said Monday.
But JFK's niece Maria Shriver argues the closure is instead because entertainers have been canceling performances there since President Trump added his name to the building.
In January, the Washington National Opera said it would perform in a different venue. Composer Philip Glass ended performance of his Symphony No. 15 at the center, saying the values of the Kennedy Center under President Trump's oversight are in "direct conflict" with the themes of the artwork.
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The president's renovation plans echo the steps he's already taken to physically reshape Washington, including by demolishing the East Wing of the White House to build a new ballroom.
He is also said to be considering redesigning local golf courses and constructing a sculptural arch to commemorate the country's 250th anniversary.
Meanwhile, the plan to close the venue for renovation is subject to the approval of the Kennedy Center's board — which President Trump chairs.
