renovations

1 of 2 | The Donald J. Trump and John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts appears in Washington, D.C., on Friday. A federal judge ruled that President Trump overstepped his authority by renaming the Kennedy Center after himself, ordering Trump’s name to be removed and reversing a decision to close the performing arts center for renovations. Photo by Aaron Schwartz/UPI | License Photo

May 29 (UPI) — A federal judge on Friday said President Donald Trump‘s name must be removed from the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts in a ruling that also blocked plans to shutter the facility for two years for renovations.

U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper for the District of Columbia handed down the decisions halting Trump’s plans to impose sweeping changes at the historic venue.

The Kennedy Center’s board of trustees voted in December to add Trump’s name to the building. The decision came less than a year after Trump dismissed the entire board and named new board members, who in turn elected him chairman.

“Congress gave the Kennedy Center its name, and only Congress can change it,” Cooper wrote.

Rep. Joyce Beatty, D-Ohio, sued in response to the name change. Meanwhile, a coalition launched a separate lawsuit in March asking the court to stop the administration from shuttering the facility for two years and carrying out its quarter-billion-dollar reconstruction project.

Trump said the decision to close the facility came after a yearlong review in consultation with contractors, musical experts, arts institutions, and advisers and consultants. He had initially considered a partial project that would permit shows to continue, but decided the best option for the venue was a temporary closure.

Rep. Joyce Beatty, D-Ohio, an ex officio member of the board who sued to have access about the details of renovations, said she believes Trump wants to shutter the Kennedy Center in response to dozens of individuals and cultural organizations who have canceled appearances there in response to Trump trying to rename the center after himself. Beatty said the documents she received about the renovations were “inadequate.”

She said “the documents prove that there is absolutely no basis to shutter this precious living memorial and beloved institution,” she said in a statement. “It certainly looks like President Trump is shutting down the center because he is embarrassed that ticket sales are down and artists are fleeing since his illegal renaming.”

Beatty’s lawyers said she was concerned Trump might use his hand-selected board to push through wholesale changes at the Kennedy Center to design a facility more to his liking. In October, Trump had the East Wing of the White House demolished to make room for a $250 million ballroom.

In a post on Truth Social in March, Trump shared renderings of what he expected the center to look like after the renovations. He said he’s not planning to rip out the facade.

A Washington Post analysis of the renderings show very few changes to the exterior of the building, including altered cornices, updated roof and some windows, painted columns, new signage and landscaping changes.

NEW Strictly Come Dancing host Josh Widdecombe was forced to halt work at his listed mansion after he began renovations without planning permission.

The comedian has already splashed some of his windfall on renovating his new family home in Devon.

Josh and his producer wife Rose Hanson wasted no time in beginning work on the listed property, only for planning documents to reveal they had failed to get permission.

In a retrospective application, his agent said it was “regrettable” but confirmed work was immediately “paused” upon realising.

On the application form, Rose confirmed work on the building had begun but had not been finished.

Permission was eventually granted this week by council planners under delegated powers after no objections were received.

The application was in Rose’s name, who previously said on social media she was the boss when it comes to renovations.

She wrote: “He’s good at writing jokes, I’m good with interiors – we stick to our lanes.”

The work includes a range of internal alterations including reopening a historic doorway, adjusting partitions and repositioning architraves.

A supporting statement on behalf of the couple said: “At ground floor level it is proposed to re-open an historic doorway that was blocked with 20th century studwork.”

It added that minor adjustments would be made to the back of the building to incorporate a new door from the garden.

It said: “The enclosed works have no impact on the setting of the building in any way, with the only external change proposed the inclusion of a new door to the garden store.”

They added that internally, none of the proposed works have an adverse impact on the character of the house.

In approving the application, a planning official described the impacts of the proposals as largely “positive” or “neutral”.

The couple moved to the home in Devon after selling their £2.3m London townhouse.

They said at the time they wanted to bring up their two children with more space and be closer to Josh’s childhood home.

Previous pictures of the listed property reveal five ensuite bedrooms and a separate one-bed coach house in the grounds, as well as a huge living room, large kitchen and dining room.

The posh home also comes with two offices, a gym and a wine cellar.

Speaking on the Parenting Hell podcast, Josh had told fellow comic Rob Beckett: “Just to be clear, it isn’t in Crinkley Bottom – it isn’t the house we used to see on Saturday nights on the TV.”

Josh and Rose also owns a £1M holiday home in Cornwall, that they restored and now rent out to holidaymakers.