Judge Allows Trump’s White House Ballroom Project to Proceed. A federal judge ruled that President Donald Trump could move forward, for now, with plans to build a large White House ballroom on the site of the former East Wing. U.S. District Judge Richard Leon rejected an emergency request from preservationists to halt the project, saying they failed to show irreparable harm at this stage. However, the judge warned the government it must be prepared to undo any below-ground construction that locked in a specific design. Trump proposed a 90,000-square-foot ballroom and said it would cost about $400 million, funded through private donations. Since returning to office in January, Trump had overseen extensive changes to the White House, including gold décor in the Oval Office and a redesigned Rose Garden. Government lawyers said the ballroom’s design was still evolving and that above-ground construction would not begin before April. Judge Leon scheduled a further hearing in January to reconsider whether the project should be paused as the lawsuit continues. The preservation group argued Trump bypassed required public input and ignored rules mandating consultation with federal planning and arts commissions.