The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts will likely stay closed for a planned two-year renovation, the venue’s board of directors told a federal judge in a filing Friday, marking the latest development in a dispute that began with President Donald Trump’s sudden announcement in February.
Executive Director Matt Floca informed U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper that the board is weighing three options for the closure — shutting down fully, partially closing, or adopting a series of phased closures — and that management has deferred “affirmative long-term programming or staff adjustments” until the board selects a final path.
The board’s filing came in response to Cooper’s May 29 ruling that the board had decided to close the facility in July for renovations without considering its responsibilities as a federal monument, according to reports from ABC News and The Washington Post. The same order required the center to remove Trump’s name from the building, which the board did last Friday, hours before the court’s deadline.
Trump announced in February that he planned for the center to be shut down for “construction, revitalization and complete rebuilding” over two years. Performances and shows that were scheduled after the July closure date have already been canceled and are not expected to be rescheduled, the filing said.
The public will continue to have access to various exhibits and smaller gatherings held at the building during any renovation work, including the John F. Kennedy exhibit — the facility was designed as a living memorial to the former president, Floca said.
Floca told Cooper that the board will consider the three renovation options at a meeting in mid-July. “Given present uncertainty as to future programming, management has deferred affirmative long-term programming or staff adjustments until the board selects a final operational path,” Floca wrote in the filing.