WASHINGTON: The US military is building a massive complex under a privately funded ballroom being built in the White House, a move that has run foul with President Donald Trump's detractors.
The underground facilities at the White House include a Presidential Emergency Operations Centre (PEOC) which dates back to the Second World War. This facility has been upgraded at regular intervals.
"The military is building a massive complex under the ballroom- that's under construction," Trump told reporters late Sunday evening onboard Air Force One while returning to the national capital from his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida.
Trump said the new ballroom will have a range of security features such as bulletproof glass and drone-resistant design.
It will host international dignitaries and major events, including the inauguration of a new president.
CNN had reported in January that the existing PEOC had been "dismantled" during Trump's East Wing demolition and that a new, modernised facility was in the works.
"I cannot tell you more about that, actually, as a matter of fact.
However, the military is making some upgrades to their facilities here at the White House, and I'm not privy to provide any more details on that at this time," White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters during a media briefing here on Monday.
Trump's ballroom project has been under a cloud of criticism with experts claiming that the works will carry out significant changes to the White House precincts without appropriate Congressional oversight or public scrutiny.
Trump said the ballroom would incorporate high-end architectural elements, including hand-carved columns.
"They'll be Corinthian, which is considered the best, most beautiful by far," he said.
Reports suggested that the classified nature of the underground project has made it skip approval by the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC).
According to CNN, White House official Joshua Fisher told the NCPC that the overall project would boost "mission-critical functionality," make "necessary security enhancements," and create "resilient, adaptive infrastructure" for future needs.
The NCPC, at its meeting on March 5, heard a presentation on preliminary and final site and building plans for the East Wing Modernisation Project submitted by the Executive Residence at the White House.
"Following the presentation by NCPC staff and the project design team, Commissioners asked questions and heard testimony from members of the public," the NCPC said on its website.
The NCPC said it would take action on the project at its meeting on April 2 and made it clear that there will be no public testimony during the deliberations.
The design has been criticised by architects and preservationists, who say that the 90,000-square-foot ballroom is too large and will overshadow the 55,000-square-foot White House.
Earlier this month, the Trump administration also sent a proposal to the NCPC for a 33,000-square-foot screening facility for White House visitors below Sherman Park.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation has moved court to stop the project and the case is expected to be taken up this week.