National Capital Planning Commission Requests Additional Information on Proposal to Paint Eisenhower Executive Office Building White

The National Capital Planning Commission did not approve a White House proposal to paint the exterior of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building white during its meeting Thursday in 2026 and instead directed officials to provide additional information at a future date.

Ryan Erb, the construction operations and facilities manager in the White House Office of Administration, discussed project details with commission members as the agency opened its review. 5 million and would be funded with money already designated for maintenance and upkeep projects.

The Eisenhower Executive Office Building is a 19th-century historic landmark next to the White House that opened in 1888 after 17 years of construction. It is a National Historic Landmark and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The White House has put forward two proposals: painting the entire gray granite exterior white, or painting most of the building white while leaving the granite base as is.

Painting the entire building is the preferred option, White House officials have said. President Donald Trump proposed painting the exterior of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building white as part of a broader plan to make Washington more beautiful. ” The silicate paint is being tested on granite samples from a quarry in Maine because no testing can be done on the Eisenhower building itself.

Erb stated that the granite samples used for testing are new stone and not aged like the stone on the building. “The initial data was encouraging for this process,” Erb stated. “Unfortunately, we can’t rush that process.

President Trump is razing the East Wing of the White House to build a 1,000-person ballroom. Across the street, Lafayette Park is closed for renovations including restoring the fountains. “President Trump continues to beautify the White House and our Nation’s Capital and is giving it the glory it deserves — something everyone should celebrate,” Davis Ingle, a White House spokesperson, stated.

More than 2,000 public comments submitted to the National Capital Planning Commission were strongly opposed to the painting plan. Eleven people commented at the meeting on Thursday, most urging rejection of the proposal. “Painting the granite facade of the building white will adversely and permanently alter this important landmark, and should be rejected,” Priya Jain, with the Society of Architectural Historians, stated.

The organization has sued over the White House ballroom. A lawsuit against the proposed paint job is pending in federal court. The commission, chaired by Will Scharf, a top Trump White House aide, approved staff comments on the proposal.

U.S. Commission of Fine Arts is reviewing the proposal and recently asked the White House to present additional information including about paint testing before a vote.