Kennedy Center still weighing closure options after judge blocks shutdown

Washington — The Kennedy Center is still deciding whether to fully close, partially close or phase its renovations, according to a filing the Trump administration submitted to a federal judge late Friday.

U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper blocked the administration last month from closing the center until 2028. He also ordered the removal of President Trump's name from the building after a lawsuit by Democratic Rep. Joyce Beatty of Ohio.

In the Friday filing, Kennedy Center Executive Director Matt Floca said the board will meet in mid-July to choose among three options: a full closure with no public programs, a partial closure with limited programming, or a series of phased closures that allow more programming.

Justice Department lawyers asked Cooper for more time to respond to Beatty and proposed that both sides file a joint status report two weeks after the board meeting. They noted that the judge's order did not require the center to reschedule previously canceled shows.

Beatty's lawyers accused the administration of "implementing their shutdown decision by inertia" and of turning the center into "a lifeless husk." They said officials had "gutted" programming and failed to take obvious steps to restore it, citing the recent end of the long-running play "Shear Madness." They asked the judge to order weekly updates on efforts to resume programming.

The center's name has also drawn attention. Trump's name was removed from the facade last week after courts rejected last-minute appeals to keep it in place. A tarp still covers part of the facade, and Beatty's lawyers said leaving it up amounted to a breach of fiduciary duty.

Cooper's ruling found that the board, made up largely of administration officials and Trump allies, exceeded its authority by renaming the center and by approving the two-year closure. He said Congress alone can change the name and that the board must balance its obligations before deciding on any future closure.

Trump replaced several board members early in his second term and was elected chair. The board voted in December to rename the center The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts. Trump later said he would work with Congress on the center's future.