The Trump administration proposes a 33,000‑square‑foot underground White House visitor screening center in Sherman Park, to be reviewed by the NCPC on April 2. Construction could start this fall with a targeted completion in July 2028. The design includes multiple entry lanes, a new lobby and a secondary checkpoint to replace temporary trailers and tents; no cost or funding source is specified. Planners say the Sherman statue will remain, at least six trees will be replaced with native species, and public access will be preserved.
White House Proposes 33,000‑Sq.-Ft. Underground Visitor Screening Center in Sherman Park
Construction work continues on President Trump's White House East Wing ballroom, as seen from the Washington Monument, on March 8, 2026, in Washington, D.C. / Credit: Aaron Schwartz / Getty Images(Aaron Schwartz / Getty Images)
The Trump administration has submitted plans to construct an underground visitor screening facility in Sherman Park, southeast of the White House. The proposed center would be roughly 33,000 square feet and built entirely on federal land.
The National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) is scheduled to review the proposal at its April 2 meeting. Project documents say the plan was developed by the Executive Office of the President in coordination with the U.S. Secret Service, the Department of the Interior and the National Park Service. Construction could begin as early as this fall and officials estimate completion by July 2028.
The design calls for multiple entry lanes for initial identification checks, a new public lobby and a secondary security checkpoint. The screening area is intended to handle large groups and organized queues, replacing the temporary trailers and tents currently used for tour screening.
Until now, visitors have assembled in Sherman Park and, during East Wing ballroom construction, at an alternate staging area in Lafayette Park. NCPC planning documents do not include a project cost estimate or identify a funding source.
White House spokesman Davis Ingle told CBS News: "For far too long, visitors to the White House have had a reduced experience where they were required to begin their tours by entering temporary double-wide trailers and tents outside, often in uncomfortable weather conditions. The President directed a modernization of the experience from beginning to end. The new Visitor Center will be state of the art and highlight the history of the White House and our Nation's Capital."
The NCPC says it is working to minimize impacts to historic resources and public uses of the park. Under the proposal, the Civil War-era statue of General William Tecumseh Sherman would remain in place. The plan calls for landscape restoration to "enhance the park's character," and notes that at least six trees would be removed and replaced with suitable native species and new landscaping.
Planners emphasize maintaining public access to the park and avoiding aboveground structures that would detract from nearby buildings and monuments. The proposal comes as the administration is facing criticism and legal challenges over several high-profile Washington construction projects, including the White House East Wing ballroom, a multi-year renovation of the Kennedy Center, and a proposed triumphal arch near federal sites.
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