Iconic White House Amenity Is Next Up On The Renovation List

The White House complex’s historic bowling alley is next in line for an upgrade as President Donald Trump continues to leave his mark on Washington. 

The General Services Administration awarded a contract worth more than $250,000 to renovate the lighting at the two-lane Harry S. Truman Bowling Alley, Politico reported Monday.

The July 28 contract went to Charles Mann Enterprises, a Washington-based construction firm that later received an additional $8,800 contract to escort workers through secure areas during the project. 

The company was founded by former NFL defensive end Charles Mann, who played for the Washington Redskins and the San Francisco 49ers. During his career, Mann was selected to four Pro Bowls and won three Super Bowls during his pro football career.

A West Wing basement bowling alley was first constructed in 1947 under President Harry Truman before the lanes were transferred to the Old Executive Office Building in the 1950s, according to the White House Historical Association. President Richard Nixon later added a bowling alley to the White House residential complex in 1973, as he enjoyed bowling with his wife. 

Truman and veterans bowling in 1947. Credit: Bettmann / Contributor via Getty Images.

A previous project to revamp the bowling alley under President Barack Obama in 2014 was scrapped after Republican objections. The Republican-controlled House later approved an amendment prohibiting federal funding for the renovation.

During Trump’s first term, first lady Melania Trump oversaw the restoration of the Nixon-era alley that restored its original wooden lane and updated its electrical wiring, machinery, and interior. The Bowling Proprietors’ Association of America funded that project.

Throughout his second term, Trump has transformed parts of the White House complex through multiple construction projects. He remade the Rose Garden with a white stone patio and statues honoring America’s founders, oversaw construction of a granite helipad on the South Lawn, and renovated the historic Lincoln Bedroom bathroom.

Trump has also pushed for the construction of a new White House ballroom and military complex, which he has argued is necessary for national security. The project has faced opposition from preservation groups but won a significant legal victory Monday when the Supreme Court cleared the way for construction to continue while litigation proceeds. 

The court’s 5-4 majority did not decide whether the project is legal, ruling only that the National Trust for Historic Preservation was unlikely to establish that it had standing to challenge the construction.

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