NewzWASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge on Thursday ordered the Kennedy Center to provide 30 days’ notice before making any major physical changes to the building, including demolishing it as President Donald Trump has threatened.U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper said his ruling would “avoid any confusion on that score given more recent events,” including the sudden closure of the building to the public on Wednesday.Matt Floca, the Kennedy Center’s executive director and chief operating officer, said he closed the iconic performing arts center temporarily due to “acute risks to public safety resulting from continued structural deterioration” of the aging building. The building will be closed for at least seven days to “assess existing safety risks in those portions of the main building exhibiting severe structural deterioration,” Floca said.The temporary closure, which occurred without notice, is separate from a vote Tuesday by the Kennedy Center’s board to close the performing arts center indefinitely for repairs, Floca and other officials said.
The closure was based on an inspection of the roof terrace canopy and a partial ceiling collapse earlier this month, Floca said. The closure may be extended after evaluation next week, he added.Trump said the Kennedy Center could be ‘ripped down’Trump, who was named the Kennedy Center’s chairman last year by loyalists on the board, said Wednesday that his efforts to restore the aging building deserve recognition, “because frankly, if we don’t do that, it’s going to close. It’s in very, very bad shape, very dangerous shape.”The announcement of the closure came in response to a court case filed by a Democratic congresswoman who is a trustee and sought an emergency court hearing to prevent what she called the building’s “unlawful closing.”Rep.
Joyce Beatty, an Ohio Democrat and an ex-officio member of the Kennedy Center board, has led efforts to block Trump’s name from being added to the building. Beatty had a verbal confrontation with the Republican president Tuesday during a virtual board meeting.Beatty's lawyers said in a court filing Thursday that the board members' “rationale that they are only temporarily closing the Kennedy Center is a plain pretext to justify shutting down the Center permanently. The facts before the Court are deeply concerning.”Cooper denied a request by Beatty'…
President Trump was photographed Wednesday night looking over a placard that appeared to include the words "Kennedy Center DEMOLISHED." The closure may be extended after evaluation next week, he said.The announcement of the closure came in response to a court case filed by a Democratic congresswoman who is a trustee and sought an emergency court hearing to prevent what she called the building’s “unlawful closing.”Rep. But he agreed to their request “to make crystal clear” that his order prohibits demolition of the building.The Trump-aligned board, chaired by the president, voted to close the center after Cooper blocked the institution from returning Trump’s name to the building.Tr…
WASHINGTON (AP) — A top official at the Kennedy Center said Thursday that he closed the iconic performing arts center temporarily due to “acute risks to public safety resulting from continued structural deterioration" of the aging building.Matt Floca, the Kennedy Center's executive director and chief operating officer, said in a federal court filing that the building will be closed for at least seven days to "assess existing safety risks in those portions of the main building exhibiting severe structural deterioration.”The temporary closure, which occurred without notice Wednesday, is separate from a vote Tuesday by the Kennedy Center's board to close the performing arts center indefinitely for repairs, Floca and other officials said. The facts before the Court are deeply concerning.”They urged U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper to hold a hearing to clarify the board's actions and intent.
They also asked the judge “to make crystal clear” that his order prohibits demolition of the building.The Trump-aligned board, chaired by the president, voted to close the center after a federal judge blocked the institution from returning Trump’s name to the building.Trump, who was named the Kennedy Center’s chairman last year by loyalists on the board, said Wednesday that his efforts to restore the aging building deserve recognition, “because frankly, if we don’t do that, it’s going to close. It’s in very, very bad shape, very dangerous shape.”Congres… Trump asked why adding his name to Kennedy Center is important (CNN) — President Donald Trump was pictured reviewing a poster that appears to read, “Kennedy Center DEMOLISHED,” hours before his administration told a judge the arts institution had to be closed due to “structural deterioration” it characterized as posing “untenable risks” to safety.
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