Nonprofit Sues to Halt Trump Administration's Blue Resurfacing of Reflecting Pool

WASHINGTON — A nonprofit architectural group sued to block the Trump administration's blue resurfacing of the Reflecting Pool in front of the Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall. The group argues the government failed to follow congressionally mandated procedures before altering the historic feature.

The Cultural Landscape Foundation, an education and advocacy nonprofit, filed the lawsuit Monday in federal court in Washington, D.C. It seeks an immediate halt to the resurfacing until the administration complies with federal law, including the National Historic Preservation Act. The Department of the Interior and National Park Service are the defendants.

The foundation says the Trump administration started the resurfacing, which continues, without completing proper congressional review and notification.

"No consulting parties have been notified, engaged, or given an opportunity to participate," attorneys from the Washington Litigation Group, representing the foundation, wrote in the 26-page complaint. "This latest desecration of the reflecting pool is part of a pattern — epitomized most notably by the rush to destroy the East Wing of the White House — in which this Administration willfully disregards legal limits established by Congress."

"Every day that the resurfacing continues, the historic character of the Reflecting Pool is being further and fundamentally altered," the complaint states.

In late April, Trump told reporters his administration planned to resurface the stone bottom of the pool in "American flag blue," made of the "latest and greatest filament." Crews have applied the new material to the drained pool in recent weeks.

Trump said he was irked by the pool's "terrible" condition, despite a comprehensive 2012 renovation and subsequent National Park Service work. The pool is periodically drained to remove algae, garbage, bird droppings and dirt.

"You're going to end up with a beautiful, beautiful reflecting pool, the way it's supposed to be," Trump said, showing pictures of the construction. "Much better than it ever was, actually." He called it "essentially a pool surface."

Trump said the project would cost about $2 million in taxpayer funds. The New York Times reported Monday that the contracting firm would receive more than $13 million, with the contract awarded without bidding. The president and his motorcade drove into the pool last week to inspect the work.

Charles Birnbaum, president and CEO of the foundation, said in a statement the "blue-tinted basin is more appropriate to a resort or theme park."

"The Reflecting Pool should not be viewed in isolation; it is part of the larger ensemble of designed landscapes that comprise the National Mall. The design intent, to create a reflective surface that is subordinate, is fundamental to the solemn and hallowed visual and spatial connection between the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial," Birnbaum said.

Birnbaum coordinated the National Park Service's Historic Landscape Initiative from 1992 to 2007. He wrote the Department of the Interior's standards and guidelines, the "governing federal framework for the preservation and treatment of historic landscapes, including the Lincoln Memorial Grounds and the Reflecting Pool," the complaint notes.

A Department of the Interior spokesperson said the National Park Service chose the best company to expedite repairs ahead of the nation's 250th anniversary celebrations. The blue surface "will enhance the visitor experience by making the pool reflect the grand Lincoln Memorial and Washington Monument."

The White House faces other lawsuits over its overhaul of Washington historic structures. Multiple suits aim to block Trump from adding his name to and renovating the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, building a giant arch across the Potomac River from the Lincoln Memorial, and demolishing the White House East Wing for a privately funded ballroom.