Preservation Groups Sue to Block National Garden of American Heroes in West Potomac Park
Preservation groups filed suit Monday in federal court to halt the project, arguing it violates the Commemorative Works Act and lacks congressional approval. The administration says the memorial honors pivotal American figures.
arlnow.comA coalition of preservation organizations sued the Trump administration Monday in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to stop construction of the National Garden of American Heroes in West Potomac Park. The complaint asserts that the site lies inside the Reserve, a protected zone where new commemorative works are barred without congressional authorization and compliance with federal land-use laws.
The planned memorial would include 250 larger-than-life statues, gardens, reflecting pools, and an amphitheater on open green space between the Jefferson and Lincoln memorials. The complaint states that the Commemorative Works Act prohibits new monuments in the area without an exemption and congressional approval.
Plaintiffs include the D.C. Preservation League, the Cultural Landscape Foundation, and the Olmsted Network. They contend the project would consume heavily used recreational fields and that the administration bypassed required public review and funding disclosures.
““The West Potomac Plan is unlawful. Several figures on the previously released sculpture list, including Kobe Bryant, Whitney Houston, and Rosa Parks, died within the past 25 years. The plaintiffs asked the court to block any changes to the park until Congress authorizes the work and all statutory requirements are met.”
” The department is assisting in the management of the project. Officials have not detailed how the memorial would be funded or whether an exemption request has been submitted to Congress.
