WATCH LIVE: Trump administration submits ballroom plan for review months after construction begins

WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House is expected to share details of President Donald Trump’s planned ballroom at the National Capital Planning Commission’s monthly meeting on Thursday, months after the East Wing was demolished in preparation for construction.

The Trump administration is expected to present its hall plan at 1 p.m. EST. Watch the live stream in the video player above.

The White House in December submitted its plans for the ballrooms to the commission, one of two federal committees that review construction on federal lands, typically before construction begins. The National Trust for Historic Preservation has filed a lawsuit to stop construction of the $400 million hall, accusing the Trump administration of violating federal laws by moving forward before the project was submitted for independent reviews, congressional approval and public comment.

The first step in the review process for the East Wing modernization project is an information presentation, where the White House outlines the project. Commissioners can ask questions and provide public comments. A more formal review is expected in the spring, including public testimony and votes.

A summary on the committee’s website said the project’s purpose was to “create a permanent, secure event space within the White House grounds” that would provide increased capacity for official state functions, eliminate reliance on temporary tents and support facilities, and “protect the historic integrity and cultural landscape of the White House and grounds.”

A comprehensive design plan for the White House prepared in 2000 identified “the need for expanded event space to meet increased visitor demand and provide a suitable venue for important events,” the summary said. He added that successive administrations “have recognized this need as a continuing priority.”

The 12-member National Capital Planning Committee is chaired by Will Scharf, a senior White House aide. Scharf said at the committee’s December meeting that the review process would be taken seriously and would proceed at a “normal and deliberative pace.”

Carol Quillen, the foundation’s president, told The Associated Press in a recent interview that she takes Scharf’s word for it that the commission will do its job.

Trump, a Republican serving his second term, has been talking about building a ballroom in the White House for years. Last July, the White House announced that a 90,000-square-foot space would be built on the east side of the complex to accommodate 650 guests at a cost then estimated at $200 million. Trump said it would be paid for through private donations, including from him.

He later increased the hall’s capacity to 999 people, and by October, he had demolished the two-story East Wing of the White House to build there. In December, he updated the price to $400 million, double the original estimate.

The White House announced few other details about the project, but said it would be completed before Trump’s term ends in January 2029. Trump said the hall would be large enough to hold future presidential inaugurations there. He also said it would have bulletproof glass and a drone-free roof.

While in Florida last week, the president purchased marble and onyx for the ballroom “at his own expense,” the White House said. The cost was not disclosed.