Commission Approves White House Visitor Center, Reviews Park Fencing

The National Capital Planning Commission voted unanimously on Thursday to grant preliminary approval for a 33,000-square-foot visitor screening center on the White House grounds. The partially underground facility, intended for use by the United States Secret Service, will replace temporary trailers and tents with a permanent entrance at Sherman Park. The administration aims to open the center by July 2028, following a July approval from the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts.

Donald Trump and the Secret Service also proposed installing permanent 8-to-10-foot fencing and larger gates around the 8-acre Lafayette Park. The commission accepted several versions of the proposal, moving the project toward a final vote. Administration officials and the Secret Service argue the fencing is necessary following multiple assassination attempts against the president and a fatal shooting near a security checkpoint in May.

Opponents, including the American Civil Liberties Union and historic preservationists, argue the permanent barriers would chill First Amendment rights and signal that public access to the park is granted only by permission. These security upgrades are part of a broader series of modifications to Washington, D.C., which include a proposed White House ballroom, a 250-foot-tall triumphal arch, and a plan to paint the Eisenhower Executive Office Building white. Additionally, a federal judge recently declined to block the removal of 150 trees in East Potomac Park to make way for a luxury golf course.