A federal lawsuit filed Monday seeks to halt the Trump administration's repainting of the Reflecting Pool on the National Mall, arguing the accelerated project violates historic preservation law and destroys a design that has stood for over a century.
The Cultural Landscape Foundation contends the administration bypassed mandatory consultation procedures before altering what it calls a character-defining feature of the Lincoln Memorial grounds. Attorneys want the court to stop work immediately and force restoration of the original dark grey finish until proper legal channels are exhausted.
Trump selected the new color himself, calling it "American Flag Blue," and has said the project will wrap within two weeks. The administration is moving at extraordinary speed, compressing what officials estimated could take three and a half years into a compressed timeline backed by a roughly $13 million no-bid contract awarded to Atlantic Industrial Coatings.
The lawsuit zeroes in on the pool's original design philosophy. A 1999 National Park Service Cultural Landscape Report identified the dark-tiled basin as essential to the site's purpose, noting that "the dark color of the tile created the illusion of greater depth and a more profound reflection." The suit argues the bright blue coating will transform the historic landmark into something resembling a swimming pool rather than the reflective civic landscape visitors have experienced for generations.
"The dark grey, achromatic basin was not incidental to the design. It was the design," wrote attorney Alexander Kristofcak in court papers.
The Interior Department dismissed these concerns in a statement, saying the new color "will enhance the visitor experience by making the pool reflect the grand Lincoln Memorial and Washington Monument." Officials also highlighted infrastructure improvements, including a new ozone nanobubbler filtration system and dedicated maintenance crew, framing the project as necessary maintenance ahead of the nation's 250th anniversary celebrations.
Trump has cited legitimate maintenance concerns, claiming the pool leaked 16 million gallons annually and had deteriorated significantly. During an April 23 announcement, he said the pool "was filthy, dirty, and it leaked like a sieve for many years." He touted the new color while visiting the site last week. "The color was never good, because basically it had a gray stone underneath," Trump said. "And now we actually picked the color, it was called American Flag Blue, and so you can't do better than that."
The administration has offered conflicting cost estimates. Trump told reporters the work would run about $1.8 million and take roughly a week, calling it a bargain compared to earlier estimates of $355 million over three and a half years. However, the New York Times reported Monday, citing federal records, that the government is paying $13.1 million for the project.
The lawsuit highlights what it characterizes as a pattern of circumventing legal oversight. The suit notes the administration is simultaneously facing similar challenges related to a White House ballroom renovation and Kennedy Center construction projects. Describing the pool project as "the latest desecration of the reflecting pool," lawyers invoked the administration's broader approach to historic preservation disputes.
Federal courts have already inserted themselves into these disputes. A judge has ordered a temporary halt to the ballroom work, though an appeals court has allowed it to continue pending further review. A preventive lawsuit over Trump's announced plans to build a 250-foot arch near the Potomac River prompted a federal judge to require the National Park Service to provide 14 days notice before any construction on Memorial Circle.
Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act mandates agencies consult with experts and organizations with relevant expertise before altering historic properties. The lawsuit asserts no such consultations occurred. "No consulting parties have been notified, engaged, or given an opportunity to participate," the filing states.
The Cultural Landscape Foundation is pushing for urgency in court, warning that each day of work further erodes the pool's historic character. "The Court should act now, halt further resurfacing, and require Defendants to comply with the law they have bypassed," the suit argued.
Author Sarah Mitchell: "The Trump administration is moving at warp speed on the Reflecting Pool, but the law exists for a reason, and federal judges now get to decide if rebranding American history can simply outrun it."
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