Group sues to block Trump's blue resurfacing of Reflecting Pool at Lincoln Memorial

Washington — A nonprofit architectural group is suing to block the Trump administration's blue resurfacing of the Reflecting Pool in front of the Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, arguing the government is not following congressionally mandated procedures before changing the historic feature.

The lawsuit, filed in federal court in D.C. by The Cultural Landscape Foundation, an education and advocacy nonprofit organization, seeks to immediately stop the resurfacing until the Trump administration complies with federal law, including the National Historic Preservation Act. The suit names the Department of the Interior and National Park Service as defendants.

The group says that the Trump administration began the resurfacing, which is still ongoing, without proper congressional review and notification being completed. 

"No consulting parties have been notified, engaged, or given an opportunity to participate," attorneys from the Washington Litigation Group, who are representing TCLF, wrote in a 26-page complaint on Monday. "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 continues.

In late April, Mr. Trump told reporters that his administration was planning to resurface the stone bottom of the pool in an "American flag blue," made of the "latest and greatest filament." Crews have been working to apply the new material to the surface of the drained pool in recent weeks.

Mr. Trump said at the time that he was irked by the "terrible" condition of the pool, which was comprehensively renovated in 2012. The National Park Service has carried out some renovations since then, and the pool is also periodically drained to scrub out 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," Mr. Trump said, holding up pictures of the construction process. "Much better than it ever was, actually." He added it was "essentially a pool surface."

Mr. Trump said that the cost of the project would be about $2 million in taxpayer funds. But on Monday, the New York Times reported that the contracting firm hired for the project would be paid more than $13 million. The lawsuit also cites the Times' reporting that the contract was awarded without a bidding process. The president and his motorcade drove into the pool last week to inspect the work.

Charles Birnbaum, president and CEO of TCLF, said in a statement that 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 was the coordinator for the National Park Service's Historic Landscape Initiative from 1992 to 2007, and wrote the Department of Interior's standards and guidelines guide, which is the "governing federal framework for the preservation and treatment of historic landscapes, including the Lincoln Memorial Grounds and the Reflecting Pool," the complaint says.

In a statement, a Department of the Interior spokesperson said the National Park Service "chose the best company to expedite the repair of the iconic Reflecting Pool ahead of our 250 celebrations." The department said the blue surface "will enhance the visitor experience by making the pool reflect the grand Lincoln Memorial and Washington Monument."

The White House is also facing litigation seeking to stop other aspects of its major overhaul of some of D.C.'s historic structures. Multiple suits are seeking to block the president 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 to make way for a privately funded ballroom.