Construction Week: Miami College Settles Over Garage Collapse: Kennedy Center Expansion Advances
Kennedy Center Expansion Will Add Pavilions Next to Original
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., plans to begin construction next March on a $100-million, three-pavilion expansion project totaling 60,000 sq ft. Sited on four acres adjacent to the original multivenue performance building—located alongside the Potomac River and completed in 1971—the pavilions will provide space for classrooms, rehearsal rooms and performances. A pedestrian bridge spanning the Rock Creek Parkway will connect the complex with Washington's waterfront trail network. Kennedy Center officials originally had planned to add two pavilions and a new wharf-based performance space but were unable to gain approval from the National Capital Planning Commission. Colocating the performance space with a cafe in a third pavilion likely will delay the project's completion by as much as 15 months, with September 2018 now the target opening date.