Updated
Updated · Forbes · Jul 9
White House Covers North Portico in Tarps for Column Repairs as $13 Million Helipad Work Expands
Updated
Updated · Forbes · Jul 9

White House Covers North Portico in Tarps for Column Repairs as $13 Million Helipad Work Expands

3 articles · Updated · Forbes · Jul 9

Summary

  • Large printed tarps went up Thursday over the White House’s North Portico, hiding scaffolding as crews carry out what officials called standard restoration work on damaged stone columns.
  • Doug Burgum said the repairs should finish quickly, while Trump said workers had stripped about 150 years of paint from columns he described as being in very bad shape.
  • $13 million in accelerated helipad work is also underway on the South Lawn, with contractor records showing an added $875,000 tied to an upcoming state visit expected to be Xi Jinping’s in September.
  • The portico project is part of a broader Trump building push that includes a $600 million White House ballroom and 18 major Washington projects estimated to cost $1.2 billion.

Insights

How does the White House restoration fit into a wider, billion-dollar renovation of America's most iconic federal landmarks?
As 150 years of paint are stripped away, what are the hidden costs and health risks of this White House restoration?