President Donald Trump’s agenda to beautify the country’s capital ahead of the United States’s 250th anniversary of independence is taking shape just across from the White House.
In keeping with Trump’s January executive order, the National Park Service is renovating aspects of at least 18 historic structures and monuments across Washington, D.C., including Lafayette Square.
Work has now officially begun to beautify the public square, which sits directly north of the White House, the NPS told the Washington Examiner.
“The National Park Service is beginning work focused on returning the park’s water features to service, completing associated repairs to supporting infrastructure, and carrying out related beautification work,” the agency said in a statement.
The renovation, first reported by the Washington Post, is likely to stretch through May. Workers are expected to initially focus on repairing the park’s fountains, and then sprinklers, sod, benches, and curbs. Trump has also expressed interest in repaving the park’s walkways to remove bricks he fears could be used as weapons during protests, according to the outlet.
The development is part of a broader effort to mark the semiquincentennial.
Trump is seeking to build a new monument dubbed the “Triumphal Arch” in Washington, with work expected to start by the end of February. He is also pushing to build a National Garden of American Heroes near the Potomac River, with sculptures honoring notable figures ranging from Christopher Columbus to Aretha Franklin.
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Across the country, events are being planned to celebrate the landmark anniversary, including through America250, a congressionally authorized organization, and Freedom 250, a group spearheaded by Trump.
The parallel organizations have been working in tandem, but were recently the subject of a complaint from a watchdog group accusing Freedom 250 of using taxpayer funds allegedly appropriated to America250.
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