Trump pitches subterranean White House visitor screening as part of campus revamp

The White House plans a 33,000-square-foot underground visitor screening center as part of a broader campus renovation, featuring a seven-lane entrance beneath a park and a large sunken plaza. The project, on the site of the former East Wing along with a planned 90,000-square-foot ballroom funded by private donations, awaits NCPC approval with a target opening around July 2028. Decades of discussions and prior funding hurdles have stalled similar underground facilities at the White House, but officials say the underground center would strengthen security and improve the visitor experience while costs continue to rise.