National Capital Planning Commission to Consider Painting Eisenhower Executive Office Building White

The National Capital Planning Commission is scheduled to begin considering the proposal on Thursday, according to its meeting agenda. The building is a National Historic Landmark located across a driveway from the West Wing. The proposal is one element of changes Trump has said will make Washington more beautiful.

Those changes include razing the East Wing to build a 1,000-person ballroom and renovating Lafayette Park across the street to restore its fountains. The Eisenhower building currently houses ceremonial offices for the vice president, offices for the second lady, the National Security Council and other White House components.

A White House official told a separate federal agency in April that the administration prefers painting the entire building because the exterior is stained and in great disrepair. The official said experts consulted by the government could not guarantee that cleaning alone would improve the building's condition.

An alternative proposal would paint most of the building white while leaving the granite exposed at the base. The Eisenhower Executive Office Building was the original home for the State, War and Navy departments. Its granite, slate and cast iron exterior is considered one of the best examples of French Second Empire architecture in the United States.

It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Hundreds of pages of public comments submitted to the National Capital Planning Commission were overwhelmingly against the proposal on grounds that it would harm the granite at great expense to taxpayers. Some commenters suggested improved landscaping, lighting or other measures instead.

The Society of Architectural Historians sent a letter this week to a top White House aide and chair of the planning commission. The letter outlined why the project would adversely and permanently alter this important part of American heritage and should be rejected.

A report by the planning commission's staff recommends that commissioners support cleaning the building. The staff report states that more information is needed to evaluate the painting proposals. It also recommends that the White House provide details on the type of paint to be used, including where it has been successfully applied to exterior granite facades elsewhere, and summarize other ways to improve the building's appearance.

At an April meeting, the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts directed White House officials to return with additional information, including results of paint testing. A lawsuit challenging the proposed paint job is proceeding through federal court.