Concerns over Kennedy Center’s future renewed

WASHINGTON (Gray DC) - The doors to the historic Kennedy Center are closed, with fences put up and the public kept out after the building closed without warning earlier this week due to alleged safety risks. Supporters of the center worry the “temporary” closure could be permanent.

The closure is the latest development in a legal fight over the fate of the famous performing arts venue. The dispute centers on President Donald Trump wanting his name on the building alongside “Kennedy,” claiming he’s working to save the space from disrepair.

A federal judge in August struck down a second attempt to add Trump’s name to the historic building, ruling that nothing could happen without Congress’s approval.

In response, the Kennedy Center board, made up mostly of Trump loyalists, voted to close the center indefinitely, citing safety concerns with the integrity of the aging building.

Trump later said renovations and repairs could take place, if his name was put back on the building.

Concern once again spiked this week after the president was photographed aboard Air Force One, seemingly looking at a poster titled “Kennedy Center DEMOLISHED.” It is not the first time he has floated the idea.

“I think that the Trump administration should certainly have recognition because frankly, if we don’t do that, it’s going to close,” Trump told reporters at a campaign stop in North Carolina. “It’ll end up being ripped down. It’s in very, very bad shape, very dangerous shape.”

The temporary closure is supposed to last seven days while safety concerns are assessed, but it could be extended if officials deem the area too dangerous for the public.

There are also two court updates complicating matters: an outstanding request for an emergency order allowing the building to stay open, and a recent ruling by a judge requires 30 days’ notice for any major physical changes to the space, including demolition.

For now, the doors remain closed.