A federal panel has approved final building plans for an underground facility to screen visitors to the White House, advancing an architectural overhaul that also includes a new presidential ballroom. The National Capital Planning Commission voted unanimously on Thursday to clear the 33,000-square-foot project, which is designed to replace the collection of temporary trailers and tents that the U.S. Secret Service has long relied on for visitor checks.
Sherman Park Underground Design and Capacity
The facility will be constructed beneath Sherman Park, located southeast of the White House and directly south of the Treasury building. According to urban planner Lee Webb, who presented the final plans to the 12-member commission, the layout features a versatile indoor open-floor plan. This design enables the Secret Service to install permanent screening technology while accommodating significant indoor queuing for large events, boasting a 700-person occupancy within the screening area.
Visitors arriving for public tours, large events, or contractor duties will enter off 15th Street, descend below ground for security screening, and eventually exit by the East Wing of the White House. An architect at Thursday’s hearing noted that the exit structure has been designed with Corinthian columns to align with the aesthetic language of the ballroom project currently rising at the site of the former East Wing.
Security Demands and White House Complex Overhaul
The project represents a collaboration between the Executive Office of the President, the U.S. Secret Service, and the National Park Service. The administration has emphasized that current security measures—which rely on temporary double-wide trailers, tents, and bicycle racks fashioned into barriers—fall short of its security needs. Security concerns surrounding President Donald Trump remain heightened following multiple assassination attempts, including two during the 2024 campaign, a third in April during a Washington dinner, and a May incident where Secret Service officers fatally shot a gunman near a checkpoint.
Representing the General Services Administration on the board, Paul Ingrassia hailed the addition as an incredible part of this White House reimagining we’ve been seeing. Commission chairman Mark Paoletta added that he looks forward to the beautiful building be built on the White House grounds. The commission previously approved plans for the 90,000-square-foot ballroom in April, and construction on that structure has continued despite ongoing legal challenges following a divided Supreme Court ruling.
Timeline and Unresolved Construction Oversight
Construction on the visitor screening facility is expected to begin within the next month, with completion targeted for 2028. While the administration aims to have the permanent structure open by July 2028—six months before the conclusion of Trump’s second term—questions remain regarding how overlapping legal battles over the adjacent ballroom project will impact heavy machinery logistics and perimeter access on the complex as work proceeds.
