The Trump administration said the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool is scheduled to be refilled by Sunday after renovation work that critics say altered one of Washington’s most recognizable landmarks.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
President Donald Trump said work on the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool has been completed, with his administration telling a court that the landmark is expected to be filled with water no later than Sunday.
The renovation included painting the shallow basin a deep color Trump has described as “American flag blue.” As of early Thursday, vehicles remained inside the basin and there was no visible water in the pool.
The administration disclosed the expected refill date in a court filing after a Washington-based nonprofit challenged the project. The Cultural Landscape Foundation filed suit last month seeking to stop work on what it described as a “dark grey” Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, arguing that the new appearance suggested a “theme park.”
No court order had been issued in the case by the time the administration notified the court Wednesday that the work was complete.
Trump has estimated the project’s cost at between $1.5 million and $2 million. Records, however, show at least $14.8 million in contracts has been awarded for the renovation.
The president first announced the work in April during an unrelated Oval Office appearance. He said he was prompted by comments from a friend visiting from Germany who complained that the reflecting pool looked dark and disgusting.
The project is one of several Trump-backed efforts to reshape prominent sites in Washington. Other plans include construction of a large White House ballroom after the demolition of the East Wing and a proposed arch between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery.
The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool stretches more than 2,000 feet between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument. Built in the 1920s, it is among the most recognizable sites in the nation’s capital and was the setting for Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech in 1963.
Before a 2012 renovation, the basin held about 6.5 million gallons of water, roughly the equivalent of 10 Olympic-size swimming pools, according to the National Park Service. That earlier project added a circulation and filtration system allowing the pool to use river water drawn from the nearby Tidal Basin instead of relying on the city’s drinking water.
The water issue has drawn additional attention as Washington and surrounding states face drought conditions.
Critics of the latest renovation say Trump has devoted too much attention to personal design projects in the capital as voters remain focused on issues such as the cost of living ahead of the November elections. Others have said the new paint color makes the historic reflecting pool resemble a swimming pool.
The Interior Department, which oversees the National Park Service, did not immediately respond to a request for more information.
The administration’s filing indicates the project is now finished, shifting the dispute from ongoing construction to the completed appearance of one of Washington’s most visited public landmarks.
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