By Mike Scarcella
WASHINGTON, Jan 22 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump's plan to erect a $400 million ballroom on the site of the White House's demolished East Wing faces a courtroom test on Thursday, when a judge is set to hear a preservation group's renewed bid to halt the project.
U.S. District Judge Richard Leon in Washington scheduled a hearing for 3:30 p.m. ET to consider the National Trust for Historic Preservation's request for a preliminary injunction to stop work on the 90,000-square-foot (8,361-square-meter) ballroom.
The National Trust sued Trump and several federal agencies in December, arguing the project has proceeded without required approvals, environmental review or congressional authorization.
The group says federal law bars construction on federal parkland in Washington without the express authority of Congress. It also argues the National Park Service violated federal law by issuing an environmental assessment instead of a full impact statement, and by releasing it after demolition began on the 120-year-old East Wing.
Leon in December declined to issue a temporary restraining order in the case. The White House and other federal defendants have urged the court to deny a preliminary injunction, which would force an end to construction while the lawsuit proceeds.
The administration has defended the legality of the project, arguing it followed in a long line of presidential renovations, including Franklin D. Roosevelt's construction of the East Wing itself.
The ballroom is needed for state functions, its design is still evolving, and above-ground construction is not planned until April, making an injunction unnecessary, the administration said in a court filing.
The court clash comes days after the National Capital Planning Commission held a hearing about the ballroom plans, marking the first time plans for the ballroom had been discussed in a public forum. The White House submitted an application for the project to the NCPC and the Commission of Fine Arts last month.
(Reporting by Mike Scarcella; Editing by David Bario, Rod Nickel)
