Trump administration threatens to demolish Kennedy Center if renovations are blocked

The Trump administration has threatened to demolish the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts if a judge rules that it cannot close for a two-year renovation. According to court filings, the administration considers the center to be in dire need of renovations.

The proposed renovations are part of a larger overhaul of the venue, which has been the subject of a legal battle. The administration has suggested that without the proposed renovations and a cash infusion, the center will deteriorate further into an unsafe structure.

If the center were to deteriorate, the administration has proposed replacing it with a large outdoor amphitheater overlooking the Potomac River, Axios reports. The administration claims that without its efforts, donors will flee and financial contributions will dry up, leading to the center's decline.

Brief written by urgent.news from The Hill, Axios — 2 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.