Who is the contractor and architect for the White House ballroom project?
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Executive summary
The lead architect on the White House ballroom project is Shalom Baranes / Shalom Baranes Associates, appointed in early December 2025 to take over design leadership from James McCrery, who will remain on the team as a consultant [1] [2] [3]. Contractors tied to the project include Clark Construction and AECOM, and news reports list McCrery Architects as the original design firm; the project’s estimated cost has been reported around $300 million [4] [5] [1].
1. Who’s designing the ballroom now — and who designed it first
The White House announced that Shalom Baranes (Shalom Baranes Associates), a Washington, D.C.–based firm with a long track record on federal projects, has been brought in to “carry out President Trump’s vision” as the lead architect for the ballroom; James McCrery and McCrery Architects, the original designer, were moved to consultant status rather than being cut entirely [2] [3] [1].
2. Contracting firms named in reporting — who is building it
Reporting identifies Clark Construction as the lead contractor on the wider expansion and lists AECOM among firms involved in delivery work; those companies were cited alongside McCrery Architects in coverage of the contractors running the project [4] [5]. Wikipedia’s project summary also names a consortium led by Clark Construction as having been awarded a multihundred‑million dollar contract earlier in 2025 [5].
3. Price tag and scale quoted by sources
Multiple outlets put the ballroom at roughly $200–$300 million in public reporting, with several references to a 90,000‑square‑foot addition that critics say would dwarf the existing residence; one Reuters story cited a $300 million figure when announcing the architect change [1] [3] [5]. The New York Times and others also discussed the building’s very large footprint in relation to the historic White House [6] [3].
4. Why the leadership change happened — competing explanations in the record
News outlets report differing rationales. The Washington Post and other outlets cited by Architectural Record and The Guardian said McCrery’s small firm lacked the staff to meet an accelerated schedule and that it had clashed with the president over size and scope; the White House framed Baranes’s hiring as bringing needed experience for the next phase [7] [8] [9]. McCrery’s supporters were reported to fear an inferior design if he stepped away, while critics flagged demolition and procedural concerns [2] [10].
5. Preservation, ethics and professional pushback
Architectural groups and preservationists publicly criticized the project’s process and scale. A December 10 letter urged Shalom Baranes Associates to decline the commission, alleging the East Wing demolition lacked public input and arguing the new ballroom’s size would diminish the complex; the letter also questioned how the commission was awarded [10]. The New York Times and other outlets noted worries about rushed plans and construction anomalies in released models [6] [4].
6. What the sources do not resolve or claim
Available sources do not mention formal, complete procurement documentation showing a standard federal competitive bid for Clark Construction, AECOM or other named contractors; several pieces state the contractors “did not go through the traditional government bidding process” without reproducing procurement records [4]. Sources do not provide a final, publicly released set of architectural plans approved by a planning commission as of these reports [3] [4].
7. How to read the competing narratives
The White House messaging emphasizes experience and speed, presenting Baranes as a stabilizing choice and McCrery’s move as consultative [3] [1]. Independent reporting stresses process questions — demolition without broad public review, an unusually large addition, and possible procedural shortcuts — while preservation and professional groups frame the change as ethically and historically fraught [10] [6] [4]. Both frames are present in the coverage and should be weighed together.
8. Bottom line and next reporting milestones to watch
For now, Shalom Baranes Associates is the lead architect and Clark Construction (with AECOM named in reporting) figures among the contractors; James McCrery remains involved as a consultant [1] [4] [5]. Watch for formal plan submissions to the National Capital Planning Commission and procurement records or contract announcements that would provide documentary confirmation of contractor roles and payment terms [3] [4].