A Washington, D.C. historic preservation official has urged the Trump administration to move President Donald Trump’s proposed 250-foot triumphal arch commemorating America’s 250th anniversary from its planned site near Arlington National Cemetery.
In a letter dated June 26 to the National Park Service, District Historic Preservation Officer David Maloney recommended relocating the monument from Memorial Circle to an undeveloped traffic oval on South Capitol Street between Nationals Park and Audi Field.
Maloney argued that the alternate location would better accommodate the project while preserving Memorial Circle, which overlooks the Potomac River with the Lincoln Memorial across the river.
“The site would create an energizing focal point for a still-emerging neighborhood, suitable for a celebratory crowd,” Maloney wrote.
He noted that the location could symbolize “sports triumph” due to nearby stadiums and “importantly, it would enhance the historic L’Enfant Plan and the city’s monumental landscape rather than detracting from it.”
President Trump announced the proposal as part of the nation’s 250th anniversary celebrations, stating Washington should have a monumental triumphal arch like those in other major world capitals.
“We’re the only important and major city that doesn’t have one,” Trump said during an Oval Office event in May.
The president also stated he wants the structure to eclipse the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, which stands 164 feet tall.
“We have to do slightly larger … otherwise you’d all be disappointed in me,” Trump added. “But it’s even far more beautiful.”
According to reports, Rodney Mims Cook Jr., a Trump-appointed chair of the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, previously identified the South Capitol site as a potential location for the monument.
Maloney contended that the proposed Memorial Circle site “would severely damage an exceptional cultural landscape and one of the most important symbolic places in the nation.” He also argued the location is less accessible than other major monuments.
“The location does not suggest a likelihood of success for a celebratory monument,” he wrote.
The U.S. Commission of Fine Arts has approved the project, with the National Capital Planning Commission scheduled to review it on July 9.
The proposal has drawn legal challenges from veterans and historic preservation groups, who claim the monument would alter the landscape surrounding Arlington National Cemetery. A federal judge is currently considering this lawsuit.
Federal officials have outlined an expedited construction timeline aiming to complete the arch before Trump leaves office.
