President Donald Trump is building a big, beautiful ballroom at the White House.
The $200 million renovation will begin in September and is being paid for by Trump and private donors. It is the first major update to the White House complex since Harry Truman was president.
The administration says the project addresses space constraints that have forced presidents to host world leaders in "unsightly" tents on the lawn.
The largest room in the White House currently, the East Room, holds 200 people. The new, 90,000-square-foot ballroom will seat 650.
The White House shared artistic renderings of the "exquisite" white-and-gold ballroom, which will be situated where the "small, heavily changed, and reconstructed East Wing currently sits," White House officials explained.
"Nothing will be torn down,” said press secretary Karoline Leavitt.
Through the years, Trump has been known to entertain foreign dignitaries at his palatial Mar-A-Lago estate, sometimes called the Winter White House.
In his second term as president, the keen-eyed real estate mogul has endeavored to elevate the presidential mansion with his famous taste for opulence.
Last month, Trump had "beautiful" flagpoles installed on the White House lawn, stopping by to survey the work himself. He is also paving over the Rose Garden and has added gold touches to the Oval Office.
With work beginning next month, there is plenty of time for the ballroom to be finished up before Trump's term ends.
"I'm good at building things. And we'll get it built quickly and on time. It'll be beautiful," he said of the ballroom project.
"I always said I was going to do something about the ballroom because they should have one. So we'll be leaving it. It'll be a great legacy project and I think it'll be special," Trump added.
Trump emphasized his respect for the White House, noting that the ballroom will not touch the main building.
"It won't interfere with the current building ... It'll be near it, but not touching it and pays total respect to the existing building, which I'm the biggest fan of. It's my favorite," Trump said.
"The President and the Trump White House are fully committed to working with the appropriate organizations to preserve the special history of the white House, while building a beautiful ballroom that can be enjoyed by future administrations and generations of Americans to come," White House chief of staff Susie Wiles said.
Wiles added, "President Trump is a builder at heart and has an extraordinary eye for detail."
