Kennedy Center Whistleblowers Allege Roof Repair Delays

(MENAFN- USA Art News) Former employees of the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC, claim that officials deliberately postponed repairs for leaks in the building's roof overhangs months before announcing a temporary closure attributed to those same issues. These anonymous former employees submitted internal documents to Congress on Thursday, as reported by the New York Times.

In a letter addressed to Congress, the whistleblowers assert that the current infrastructure problems are being exaggerated. The Kennedy Center disputed this accusation in a Friday statement quoted by the Times, maintaining that the full extent of the damage only recently became apparent. Executive director Matt Floca stated,“The Kennedy Center has known for years that the roof overhang leaked. What we did not know until this summer was how far the damage had spread inside it.”

Congress had previously allocated $257 million for building repairs. President Donald Trump, who is the chairman of the board of trustees and appointed Floca, called for a two-year closure of the building, citing its dangerous dilapidation. Although a federal court blocked this plan, management announced last week that the center would close temporarily to address“acute risks to public safety.”

David Seide, an attorney representing the whistleblowers, stated in the letter that for years, the leaks“were not treated as priorities nor as acute risks to public safety.” He further alleges that six months ago, Floca canceled a $295,000 project intended to design a replacement for the roof overhangs. Floca informed the Times that the project was canceled because the contractor's bid was too high, and the work was subsequently integrated into a more comprehensive plan that also addresses climate control systems, problematic elevators, an outdated electrical system, and the facility's theater infrastructure.

Trump recently suggested that if he could not receive credit for renovations, the center would be demolished. A photograph captured him on Air Force One viewing a placard seemingly reading“Kennedy Center demolished.” Ohio Representative Joyce Beatty filed an appeal to a district court judge to unequivocally prevent Trump from demolishing the building. Her concerns appear valid, given that Trump previously razed the East Building of the White House without warning, stating he was making way for a ballroom-cum-security complex. The whistleblowers' letter to Congress also claims that center management redirected $1.4 million earmarked for waterproofing repairs to a $4.4 million project to repaint exterior columns whose color Trump disliked.

According to documents sent to Senator Sheldon Whitehouse and reported by the Times, Trump and center management have attributed financial problems to past leadership. However, ticket sales plummeted after Trump took over and declined further after he affixed his name to the building.

We previously reported:

A coalition of eight preservation groups suing the Kennedy Center is calling for its leadership to resign or for a court to appoint a receivership.

Source: ARTnews

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