US President Donald Trump plans to build a ballroom at the White House as he pushes forward with remodeling the US executive mansion, his spokeswoman said.
Mr Trump himself and unspecified donors will foot the bill for the $200 million project, she said.
“For 150 years, presidents, administrations and White House staff have longed for a large event space on the White House complex,” Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told a briefing.
Work on the ballroom – which will have space to seat 650 people – will begin in September and it is expected to be completed before the end of Mr Trump’s second term, Ms Leavitt said.
The goal is to be able to host major functions for visiting leaders, whereas now this is sometimes done by erecting a tent on the White House grounds.
White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt displays a rendering of the new White House Ballroom
A model of the ballroom presented by the government shows it will be a white building with columns and a facade like that of the main White House building.
It will replace the East Wing, which usually houses the offices of the US first lady.
Mr Trump has said for some time that he wants to build a White House ballroom inspired by his own properties, in particular his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.
That mansion will serve roughly as the model for Mr Trump’s remodeling of the White House to suit himself.
Drawing on Mar-a-Lago, the former real estate developer has ripped up the lawn at the historic Rose Garden and is paving that area.
Mr Trump, who does not shy from all things gaudy, has redone the Oval Office to add gold crown molding high on the walls and gold statues over the fireplace.
He is also flying two huge American flags outside the White House.
