Trump’s D.C. Construction Spree Could Cost More Than $1 Billion

President Trump has repeatedly promised the American public that his White House ballroom project will not cost taxpayers “one dime,” saying it will be completely funded by him and private donors as a “gift” to the United States.

He has claimed he is raising so much money for his ballroom that he could use surplus funds to finance a 250-foot Triumphal Arch that he is commissioning in Washington. And he has said that private donors will help foot the bill for other projects in his construction spree, perhaps the most expansive in the history of the presidency.

Yet a New York Times analysis shows there will be significant taxpayer expense associated with all of Mr. Trump’s building and renovation initiatives. The 18 major construction projects Mr. Trump has undertaken during his second term come with a potential cost of more than $1 billion.

A White House spokesman declined to answer specific questions about the funding for many of the president’s projects but suggested that taxpayer money was likely to be used for most of them, and that the continuing costs of the projects, such as repair, replacement and maintenance, would fall to various agencies

Here’s a look at Mr. Trump’s construction projects — some completed, some underway and some yet to begin.

Last year, Mr. Trump abruptly tore down the historic East Wing of the White House without seeking permission from Congress or any oversight panel. In its place, he has begun building a 90,000-square-foot ballroom.

The price tag of the ballroom, Mr. Trump’s most prized project, has continued to rise. Initially, the president said it would cost $200 million. He then increased that figure to $300 million and then to $400 million. Mr. Trump has said the money for the project will come from donors, but his allies on Capitol Hill have offered to have taxpayers foot the bill, and the Secret Service has said hundreds of millions of dollars in security upgrades associated with the project will be paid for by taxpayers.

The White House has released an incomplete list of donors but it has refused to disclose how much each donor contributed to Mr. Trump.

The donations are being collected by the Trust for the National Mall, a nonprofit, in an effort led by Meredith O’Rourke, a campaign fund-raiser for Mr. Trump who is not a government employee.

The president has asked Senate Republicans to provide him with $400 million for security enhancements on the White House campus, including building a “massive” military bunker underneath Mr. Trump’s planned ballroom. That money was cut out of a spending bill, but the Trump administration has transferred more than $350 million from the Secret Service budget to pay for some of the White House security upgrades.

Part of that security plan is a new $180 million, 33,000-square-foot security screening facility to replace the trailers and tents currently used by the Secret Service.

Renovations to the Reflecting Pool, including painting it blue, will cost at least $16.4 million. Mr. Trump initially said that his handpicked contractor would charge $1.8 million.

But the Trump administration awarded two no-bid contracts for the renovations, bypassing the legally required process of seeking competitive bids because it said there was an urgent need to complete the project by July 4. The first contract, for $14.7 million, went to a Virginia-based company called Atlantic Industrial Coatings, to spread waterproofing sealant in the shade of “American Flag Blue.” The second contract, for $1.7 million, went to Greenwater Services, an Ohio-based firm, to install a new water-treatment system.

National Park Service planning documents said the funding for this project would come from a mix of recreation fees, Helium Act revenue and donations raised through the Centennial Challenge. The Times has not been able to confirm the final funding arrangement.

The rushed project has suffered from enormous blooms of green algae and peeling polyurethane at the bottom of the pool. Mr. Trump has claimed, without evidence, that the project’s problems stem from vandals attacking the pool with knives and fertilizer.

Mr. Trump hopes to build a garden to honor 250 notable Americans that would include life-size statues as well as reflecting pools, plazas, dining facilities and an amphitheater.

The cost of this project will most likely be higher than currently budgeted, as the planned statues alone could cost more than the $40 million approved for the project by Congress.

Any additional funding source is unclear, though taxpayer money from the National Endowment for the Humanities budget has been diverted to the project.

The plans have expanded to the point that they could require significant redevelopment of West Potomac Park.

Mr. Trump has estimated that renovations to the center will cost around $200 million. Last year, he secured $257 million from Congress to help with capital repairs on the building.

Mr. Trump, who tried to rename the facility after himself, proposed shutting down the center on July 4 for two years for construction. But that has been halted by a federal judge, and the president has said he wants to give up on the idea. Mr. Trump’s name was removed from the building under orders from a federal judge.

Mr. Trump is gilding four largely overlooked statues near the National Mall. The statues, which feature 19-foot-tall humans and horses, sit at the end of two busy bridges and have been deteriorating for decades.

But this spring, the government decided that the figures should be covered in 23.75-karat gold leaf, and that this painstaking job needed to be done before the country’s 250th birthday.

Last summer, Mr. Trump had the Rose Garden paved over with stone tiles, and tables with yellow and white striped umbrellas were added, mirroring the hard-surface patio at Mar-a-Lago. But the rose bushes are still there.

The Trump administration declined to provide details about the funding stream.

Mr. Trump has rebranded the paved Rose Garden as the “Rose Garden Club” and used it to host various high-profile political fund-raising events for his pet projects.

Mr. Trump is planning to repair two ornamental fountains, as well as to add sprinklers, sod, benches and curbs to the park.

The National Park Service had previously planned to repair the fountains in the park, which the Biden administration in 2022 estimated would cost $3.3 million.

This year, Mr. Trump agreed to pay Clark Construction, a Maryland-based firm, $11.9 million, later increased to $17.4 million, for the project in a no-bid contract.

A White House official said the project would be funded through the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act, which created a fund for park improvements based on visitor fees.

The National Park Service is restarting eight fountains in Washington that were broken and dry for extended periods.

Six of the eight projects rely on the National Park Service recreation enhancement fee program, and two rely on a working capital fund.

Unhappy with the building’s current appearance, Mr. Trump is pushing to have the granite exterior of the historic Eisenhower Executive Office Building painted white.

It will be funded by taxpayer money from the executive branch’s existing upkeep and maintenance budget.

The Trump administration has not announced a final cost of the project, though some outlets estimate it could cost over $100 million.

Mr. Trump suggested in October of last year that the arch might be funded by money left over from the ballroom project, but documents show that the National Endowment for the Humanities, an independent federal agency, is reserving $15 million for the project. The overall cost is likely to be much higher. Already, $500,000 has been awarded to an Oregon-based firm for an environmental assessment of the site.

Mr. Trump has proposed the monumental arch to celebrate the 250th anniversary of American independence, though the president has also said that the arch is for himself. The proposed size of the arch has more than quadrupled from initial plans. Mr. Trump wanted it to be taller than the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. Eventually, the president settled on a height of 250 feet, to celebrate the country’s 250 years.

The National Park Service is already at work on a major renovation of the Lincoln Memorial using a mix of taxpayer money and donations. The $69 million project, scheduled to be completed in July, adds an immersive museum beneath the memorial and other upgrades to the visitor experience.

Mr. Trump has proposed adding a promenade that would connect the memorial to the Potomac River. He has said that some people want to call the walkway the “Trump Promenade.”

Mr. Trump has proposed creating a “championship-level” golf course at the East Potomac Golf Links, a public golf course.

The project will convert the existing 36-hole property into one that includes a larger 18-hole course that could host major tournaments, including the Ryder Cup. It will also reportedly include broader infrastructure projects and the rebuilding of a seawall.

The cost is still unclear, though some estimate it could be hundreds of millions of dollars. It’s also unclear where the money for this project would come from, though Mr. Trump has been trying to raise private funds for it.

West Colonnade: Mr. Trump had a black granite walkway added to the colonnade. Administration officials declined to provide details about the cost of the project or its funding sources. Mr. Trump has also discussed adding a second floor to the colonnade to complement the planned increase in height to the East Wing colonnade, which will lead to his new ballroom.

Lincoln Bedroom renovation: Mr. Trump remodeled the bathroom in the Lincoln Bedroom with black and white marble and gold faucets and light fixtures. White House officials declined to answer questions about how much the remodeling cost or who paid for it.

Palm Room: Mr. Trump added marble floors and a chandelier to the Palm Room at the White House. The administration declined to say how much the project cost or who paid for it.

Treaty Room: Mr. Trump has discussed turning the White House Treaty Room into a guest bedroom with an en suite bathroom, but the status of that project is unclear.

Oval Office: Mr. Trump has remodeled the Oval Office, gilding it in the style of his Mar-a-Lago resort.