US Judge Requires 30-Day Notice for Major Changes to Kennedy Center

A United States federal judge has mandated that the Kennedy Center provide 30 days’ notice before making significant physical changes to the building, including demolition. This ruling comes amid a legal dispute regarding President Donald Trump's proposed changes to the venue, which includes an effort to rename it. US District Judge Christopher Cooper issued the order on Thursday, stating it would 'avoid any confusion' following the center's unexpected closure this week. The Kennedy Center closed on Wednesday and will remain closed for at least seven days to evaluate what its executive director, Matt Floca, described as 'acute risks to public safety' due to structural deterioration. Officials have reported a partial ceiling collapse earlier this month and issues with the building's roof terrace canopy. The temporary closure followed a vote by the center's board to close the facility for an extended renovation, citing serious disrepair of the building, which opened in 1971. Trump stated on Wednesday that his administration's efforts to restore the center warranted acknowledgment and cautioned that without these efforts, 'it’s going to close. It’ll end up being ripped down.' The judge's order was in response to a request from Democratic Representative Joyce Beatty, an ex officio Kennedy Center board member who has contested Trump's plans for the institution. Judge Cooper denied Beatty's request for an emergency hearing but stipulated that any major physical changes, including demolition, would necessitate a 30-day notice. An AFP photograph taken on Wednesday showed Trump on board Air Force One reviewing a placard that appeared to depict the Kennedy Center being demolished, which gained significant attention on social media and was included in Beatty's court filing on Thursday. This legal matter follows Judge Cooper's previous rulings that blocked attempts to add Trump's name to the Kennedy Center without congressional approval.