“The White House commends the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts’ decision to unanimously (sic) approve President Trump’s historic vision to build a much-needed ballroom at the White House. We look forward to seeing the completion of this project on time and under budget,” White House spokesman Davis Ingle told the Washington Examiner.

The fine arts panel is one of at least two committees expected to review Trump’s ballroom and other construction projects, such as the proposed “Independence Arch” in Washington. The National Capital Planning Commission is set to discuss the ballroom at a March 5 meeting and hold a public hearing on the project the same day it is set to vote on it.

The White House has said it hopes to begin above-ground construction as soon as April. It is expected to be completed long before the end of” Trump’s second term, according to officials. 

The ballroom is funded entirely by “patriot” donations and will provide a “desperately needed space” to hold a high-profile event, Trump has said. The president previously offered to build the ballroom for the Obama administration, according to strategist David Axelrod, who advised former President Barack Obama. The proposal was not taken up by the White House at the time. 

“This is a GIFT (ZERO taxpayer funding!) to the United States of America,” Trump said of his ballroom dreams last month. “So that the White House would no longer be forced to use a cheap and unsafe ‘tent,’ for big and important STATE EVENTS, Dinners, Meetings, Conferences, and already scheduled future INAUGURATIONS (for safety, security, and capacity purposes!), on a very wet, and subject to weather, White House lawn.” 

Earlier this week, he posted a digital rendering for the neoclassical ballroom from his Truth Social account, promising the venue would “be the Greatest Ballroom ever built.”

The project has faced pushback from critics who argue it is destroying the historical integrity of the White House and lacks public input. After the president tore down the East Wing to clear space for the ballroom, the National Trust for Historic Preservation filed a lawsuit last December seeking to halt the development, stating it needed to undergo comprehensive design reviews, environmental assessments, public comment, and congressional debate and ratification.

TRUMP SAYS HE’LL BE PERSONALLY INVOLVED IN DHS FUNDING TALKS

Rep. Robert Garcia (D-CA), the lead Democrat on the House oversight committee, and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) on Wednesday suggested the ballroom’s funding structure may have been designed to evade judicial review. Such findings could indicate corruption, the lawmakers alleged in a letter to National Park Service Comptroller Jessica Bowron. 

“Given the seriousness of these corruption concerns and new information that has been revealed as the project moves forward, we reiterate our request for information necessary to fulfill Congress’s oversight responsibilities,” they wrote.