News summary produced by Claude AI
The Trump administration has submitted proposals to the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts for two security-related projects at the White House. The commission, which oversees design and construction on federal land in Washington, is scheduled to review both plans on Thursday.
The first proposal involves constructing a permanent fence around the 8-acre Lafayette Park, which sits adjacent to the White House. According to the 79-page proposal backed by the Secret Service and the Executive Office of the President, the fence would feature gates at the north and south entrances to control public access when law enforcement determines such measures are necessary. The administration notes that the fencing plan aims to enhance long-term safety while preserving the park’s significance as a National Park Service landscape and maintaining public access to the nationally symbolic space. The proposal addresses four monuments located at the park’s corners, noting that excluding them from the fencing could expose them to vandalism. The Secret Service anticipates the fence construction would begin sometime next year. The administration indicated it would submit a separate proposal at a later date for similar fencing along Pennsylvania Avenue on the north side of the White House complex.
The second project under review involves a redesigned underground screening facility to be built beneath Sherman Park, located southeast of the White House. The facility would accommodate screening for public tour participants, event attendees, White House staff, and contractors. The original design proposed placing the entrance at the southern end of the park, but consultations led to a revised plan relocating the entrance to the western edge to minimize infrastructure conflicts and reduce impact on surrounding views. The administration states the 33,000-square-foot facility will eliminate the need for temporary screening tents currently used for events and will improve visitor experience. The Secret Service and other agencies plan to begin construction in August, with an expected operational date of July 2028. The facility would feature an initial ID checkpoint at a pavilion above ground, followed by a second checkpoint below ground before visitors access the White House.
These proposals emerge amid elevated security concerns for the president. Trump has been targeted by multiple assassination attempts, including two during the 2024 campaign and a third in April as he attended a dinner in Washington. The following month, U.S. Secret Service officers fatally shot a man who opened fire near a White House security checkpoint. The administration characterizes the proposed projects as improvements over temporary structures, such as barriers fashioned from bicycle racks, that have traditionally supported perimeter security.