Kathrine Frich
When told about these serious fire and safety code violations, the president offered a blunt reply.
Anyone who has ever renovated a house knows that building regulations are strict and final.
Inspectors usually have the last word when it comes to keeping a structure safe.
But things work a little differently when the construction site is the most famous address in the country.
A massive overhaul
President Donald Trump is pushing forward with a massive construction project at the White House. The plan involves building a new ballroom with a price tag of $400 million.
To make room for the new space, the historic East Wing was demolished. The project began without approval from Congress, drawing legal challenges and public controversy for months.
The Executive Residence is managing the massive overhaul, according to a report by Irish Star. The early stages of the project were handled by architect James McCrery II, who eventually left the job in October.
Pushing back on safety
Before he resigned, the first architect repeatedly warned the president about problems with the early blueprints. The initial designs cut corners on necessary emergency exits and lacked proper fire safety measures, The Washington Post reported.
When told about these serious fire and safety code violations, the president offered a blunt reply. He allegedly said, “I am the code.”
Discussions about these life-safety flaws dragged on for months after the architect stepped down, according to White House records reviewed by the newspaper. It remains unclear if the newest blueprints have fixed the emergency exit problems.
Late last year, a new architecture firm called Shalom Baranes Associates took over the project. The firm declined to comment to The Washington Post about the situation.
Changing the blueprints
The White House pushed back on the idea that safety disputes caused the architect to leave. In a statement to The Washington Post, officials said the departure had nothing to do with the fire code warnings.
“Life safety issues have been addressed and resolved continuously as the design has evolved,” the official statement said.
The administration noted that they simply decided to take the second phase of the project in another direction. They praised the departing architect as a valued member of the initial team.
McCrery also released a polite statement about his exit to the newspaper.
“President Trump entrusted me with the earliest stages of the new ballroom design,” he said. He added that he stepped aside once the early designs were finished so a new firm could take over.
Sources: The Washington Post, Irish Star
