Trump Lifts Reflecting Pool Renovation Cost to Under $20 Million as Judge Weighs Halt
Updated
Updated · CNN · May 21
Trump Lifts Reflecting Pool Renovation Cost to Under $20 Million as Judge Weighs Halt
7 articles · Updated · CNN · May 21
$20 million is Trump's new ceiling for the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool overhaul, up from an initial $1.8 million estimate, after he said exterior repairs were added to the job.
Three-quarters of the project is already complete, Trump said, and he wants it finished before July 4, arguing it will take only months versus prior estimates of $350 million over four years.
Judge Carl Nichols did not immediately rule on a nonprofit's bid to stop the work, signaling skepticism that the repainting causes irreparable harm because the pool could later be repainted closer to its original color.
The Cultural Landscape Foundation says the dark blue redesign and rushed process violate preservation and environmental laws, while the Justice Department argues the work qualified as routine maintenance under a streamlined review.
How will this pool dispute redefine preservation rules for all of America's national monuments?
Will the Lincoln Memorial's famed reflection be enhanced or erased by its controversial new blue basin?
Is the new blue coating on the Lincoln Memorial's pool a reversible fix or a permanent alteration?