What was pitched as a quick patriotic touch-up for the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool has spiraled into a costly mess, complete with algae blooms, peeling paint, and a lawsuit challenging the entire vision.
The project began in April when President Donald Trump announced plans to renovate the iconic pool on the National Mall, including painting its bottom "American Flag Blue" as part of America's 250th birthday celebration. The initial estimate came in at $1.5 million to $2 million and was expected to wrap up in one to two weeks.
Neither prediction held up. As of Tuesday, more than 60 days had elapsed and the federal government had spent at least $14 million, not counting the labor costs of National Park Service staff and other federal employees. The final bill reached $16 million after emergency algae remediation.
The problems began almost immediately after refilling. A humid June in Washington produced a thick algae bloom coating the pool's surface, contradicting the gleaming blue finish that had been promised. A second contractor was brought in to deploy nanobubble technology to tackle the green growth. That cleanup effort ran $1.7 million and partially succeeded in clearing the algae, but it may have damaged the fresh blue coating underneath, causing portions of it to peel away.
Ironically, the 2012 restoration of the same pool faced similar headaches. That project cost $34 million, took two years, and also battled an algal bloom upon completion after repairing leaks and establishing a new water source.
Legal challenges have added another layer of friction. A nonprofit sued the Trump administration in May to block the refinishing entirely, arguing that historical documents specify the pool should be dark-tiled to create "the illusion of greater depth and more profound reflection." The lawsuit contends that the blue paint "materially alters" this character-defining feature.
The renovation headaches haven't deterred broader ambitions. Trump has indicated plans to renovate and restore other fountains across Washington, including those in Lafayette Square across from the White House.
Author Sarah Mitchell: "When a beautification project costs eight times more than estimated and still ends up with peeling paint and legal battles, you have to ask whether grandeur and reality ever actually aligned here."
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