Kennedy Center faces new court oversight amid growing demolition concerns

The ongoing court battle around the Kennedy Center’s future dramatically intensified this week: Eight preservation and architectural organizations, including the AIA, ASLA, Committee of 100 on the Federal City, The Cultural Landscape Foundation, DC Preservation League, Docomomo US, National Trust for Historic Preservation, and the Society of Architectural Historians, have asked a federal court to consider stronger oversight of the institution if its current leadership cannot protect the building and grounds. 

The groups point to the center’s status as a trust for the American people and the roughly $257 million in congressional funding allocated, and currently blocked by the Trump Administration, for repairs.

The latest developments have made the question more immediate. The Kennedy Center abruptly closed this week, with its executive director describing the shutdown as a temporary, seven-day response to alleged structural deterioration and emergency safety concerns. The closure cam...