Kennedy Center facing bankruptcy, closure, Trump-picked officials say

Sept. 14 (UPI) — The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts is facing bankruptcy and potential closure as early as Tuesday, officials selected by President Donald Trump said in a resolution before the board of trustees.

Trump’s allies proposed in a 57-page document that the only way to save the center from closure is to add Trump’s name to the building. The board of trustees is scheduled to meet on Tuesday to consider resolutions to recognize Trump and close the building.

By adding Trump’s name to the Kennedy Center, officials said Trump will aid in fundraising. The resolution proposed by Trump-aligned board members said Trump will “raise the necessary funds to keep the Center from bankruptcy” while the building is renovated, however he will not step in without “appropriate recognition.”

There are several options for text that would be added to the center’s facade to recognize Trump, including “Renovation Restoration and Endowment overseen by President Donald J. Trump and the Trump Kennedy Center Fund.”

Trump’s name has already been added and removed from the Kennedy Center once. Judge Christopher R. Cooper ordered earlier this year that Trump’s name must be removed from the building as only Congress has the authority to make such a change.

The board of trustees, which includes 14 members chosen by the president, approved a plan to add Trump’s name back to the building last month. Cooper is overseeing another legal challenge to block this plan.

The Washington Post reported earlier this year that the Kennedy Center is projected to have about a $23 million deficit this year despite making spending cuts.

Along with renovations, the center is also in need of repairs after suffering damage during a storm earlier this month. Executive Director Matt Floca, a Trump appointee, told the board that a section of plaster from the ceiling in the Grand Foyer broke and fell near the entrance to the Concert Hall.

Corrosion has been noted in the center’s structure during inspections. Engineers estimate about one-third of the building’s 278 soffit panels need to be replaced immediately, making the building unsafe.