🕒 Created · Updated

Roma Daravi confirms ceiling collapse at the Kennedy Center highlights urgent need for renovations championed by President Trump

A portion of the ceiling in the grand foyer of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts collapsed on Friday evening following heavy rain in Washington, D.C. No one was injured during the incident, though debris and dust covered the red carpet area. The Kennedy Center's main building closed briefly following the collapse, with the grand foyer remaining restricted for the weekend. Roma Daravi, the center's vice president for public relations, stated that the structural failure resulted from decades of neglect and deferred maintenance by previous leadership. The administration announced that the collapse serves as another example of the urgent need to close the facility for two years to undergo $250 million in renovations. The Kennedy Center's board, endorsed by Trump, has voted to close the facility to add his name to the building's facade. A federal judge is currently weighing a motion to block the renaming and the two-year closure. Justice Department attorneys argued that without the Trump-led funding and name recognition, the building will continue to deteriorate into an unsafe structure that may eventually require demolition.

Sources

Paywall and unreadable sources