Melania Trump shares progress of new White House tennis pavilion
First lady Melania Trump shared with her social media followers the status on the construction of a new White House tennis pavilion.
Accompanied by photographs of herself, wearing a hard hat and looking over what appear to be architectural plans, Trump posted: “I am excited to share the progress of the Tennis Pavillion at @WhiteHouse. Thank you to the talented team for their hard work and dedication,” wrote Trump in her Twitter and Instagram posts.
CNN has requested more information from the White House about the finishing date and opening of the pavilion.
Last June, the National Park Service, which operates the 18-acre grounds of the White House, submitted a proposal for the new tennis pavilion to the National Capital Planning Commission. The proposal outlined a structure that will be “approximately 1,200 square feet in area and approximately 18 feet in height,” “clad in limestone,” and with a “copper roof.”
The tennis pavilion will be located on the South Lawn of the White House, near the Children’s Garden, which was constructed in 1968 at the behest of first lady Lady Bird Johnson, and the Kitchen Garden, the 2,800 square foot garden planted by first lady Michelle Obama in 2009.
Trump first announced the White House tennis pavilion in a tweet last October, in which she shared photographs of herself, holding a ceremonial shovel, breaking ground, and surrounded by a group of people, some of whom were presumably financial supporters of the project, which the White House said was funded by private donations.
Trump’s tweet described the pavilion as a “legacy piece,” and later in a statement she said, “It is my hope that this private space will function as a place to gather and spend leisure time for First Families.”
The tennis pavilion is not the first sporting project the first lady has helmed during her tenure. Last May it was revealed she oversaw the new design and upgrades made to the White House bowling alley, which was first installed in 1973 at the request of avid-bowler Richard Nixon.
Other presidents have added several different outdoor recreation components to the White House. Gerald Ford had the outdoor swimming pool installed in 1975.
“Barbara Bush used to swim almost every morning, rain or shine,” said CNN contributor and author Kate Andersen Brower. “Hillary Clinton used to sit by the pool and read.”
President Barack Obama almost immediately upon moving in requested the current White House tennis courts be adapted into a full basketball court. And in 1997, then-President Bill Clinton made his own relaxation-inspired contribution to the White House pool area, adding a seven-seater hot tub.
No word whether President Donald Trump had a hand in requesting the new tennis pavilion, but he has been known to play in the past, and he is a fan of the sport.
