WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Donald Trump has brought in a new architecture firm to lead the design of the planned White House ballroom, following weeks of internal friction over the scope and size of the project, CNN reported, citing several sources familiar with the matter.
According to CNN reporters Kristen Holmes and Samantha Waldenberg, the Washington-based firm Shalom Baranes Associates has been tapped to take over primary design responsibilities. The firm has an extensive portfolio in the nation’s capital, including the General Services Administration’s national headquarters.
The decision comes amid what one senior White House official described to CNN as a breakdown in collaboration between the president and the project’s original architect, James McCrery of McCrery Architects. The official said McCrery and his firm “would no longer be in the picture” after clashing with Trump over the size and character of the ballroom.
However, two other White House officials disputed that McCrery was fired, telling CNN he will stay on as a consultant during the next phase of development.
White House spokesperson Davis Ingle confirmed the new hire to CNN, praising the firm’s long-standing presence in Washington architecture.
“As we begin to transition into the next stage of development on the White House Ballroom, the Administration is excited to share that the highly talented Shalom Baranes has joined the team of experts to carry out President Trump’s vision,” Ingle said. He added that Baranes’ experience “will be a great asset to the completion of this project.”
Both Shalom Baranes Associates and McCrery Architects have not yet publicly commented, CNN reported.
Friction over the project has been building for weeks, as White House officials worried that disputes between Trump and McCrery would delay construction. According to The Washington Post, which first reported the tensions, the disagreements centered on the ballroom’s size and Trump’s preference for a more elaborate, expansive structure that deviates from traditional White House design norms.
The project has significantly grown since its original unveiling. When the administration first announced the ballroom plans this summer, officials described a 90,000-square-foot venue with seating for 650 guests, estimating a $200 million construction cost.
But Trump revealed in October that the ballroom is now projected to cost $300 million, a figure that suggests the structure has expanded well beyond the initial plan, CNN reported.
Trump’s approach to the ballroom has already sparked controversy. Preservation groups raised alarms when the administration demolished the entire East Wing of the White House to make room for construction—without seeking approval from the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC), the federal agency that typically reviews major changes to government buildings.
The White House has insisted that while it will submit the construction plans for review, the NCPC does not have authority over the decision to tear down the East Wing, CNN noted.
At a recent NCPC meeting, Commission Chair Will Scharf—a Trump appointee—said he had been told by White House staff that the ballroom plans would be submitted this month. “That’s really when the role of this commission and its professional staff will begin,” Scharf said, according to CNN.
The planned ballroom would be the largest addition to the White House in generations. Trump has frequently called the project one of the most significant upgrades to the historic residence since the creation of the Oval Office.
Private donors are expected to fully fund the construction, though the administration has not disclosed the sources or amounts pledged to date.
As the project enters its next phase under a new architectural team, questions remain about final design details, cost escalation, historical preservation, and the role of federal oversight—all unfolding under intense national scrutiny.
