Trump’s Proposed Arch Needs Structural Revisions to Earn Final Approval: Commission

The National Capital Planning Commission said on July 9 that the Memorial Circle project needs structural revisions to earn final approval.

This comes as the commission, which is the federal government’s planning agency for the D.C. region, gave preliminary approval on Thursday. It is expected to give final approval during its meeting in September.

The proposed Memorial Circle monument would include a mezzanine level at 166 feet, a 24-foot-high observation deck, and a 60-foot statue of Lady Liberty on the top.

According to the commission, this design would exceed the limits set by the 1910 Height of Buildings Act, which was created to protect Washington’s skyline by restricting building heights to 130 feet.

In a June memo, the Department of the Interior argued that the law does not apply to federal buildings.

The commission disagreed, stating that it has long interpreted the Height of Buildings Act as applying to federal structures and has consistently enforced that interpretation.

As an alternative, the commission recommended reducing the mezzanine to 130 feet and the observation level to 20 feet.

It suggested adding the remaining 40 feet to the Lady Liberty statue instead.

Under that revised plan, the statue would stand 100 feet tall while the monument’s total height would remain 250 feet.

If the project is built as originally proposed, the monument would tower over the 99-foot Lincoln Memorial across the bridge.

It would also surpass the Plaza de la República in Mexico City—the world’s largest arch—by about 30 feet.

The 250-foot monument is intended to mark America’s 250th anniversary and would be located on a man-made island along the Virginia side of the Potomac River near Memorial Bridge.

Inspired by the 164-foot-high Arc de Triomphe in Paris, the structure would stand at nearly half the height of the Washington Monument.

Current plans feature a statue resembling Lady Liberty holding a torch atop the arch, along with two eagle sculptures.

Earlier proposals included four lions at the base, but those have been removed.

An observation deck at the summit would offer panoramic views of the surrounding area.

The monument would prominently display the inscriptions “One Nation Under God” and “Liberty and Justice for All.”

In comments before the commission on July 9, people expressed their concerns about the project.

They included respect for those buried at nearby Arlington National Cemetery, and the need for a review in accordance with the National Environmental Protection Act, which requires federal agencies to consider the environmental impacts of projects before undertaking them.

Commenters also said it would block the view between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington House, a memorial to Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee.

The arch still needs to be approved by the Federal Aviation Administration because of its proximity to flight paths.

The FAA said in June that the arch would ​need red safety lights, but it does not pose any risk ‌to air traffic at nearby Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.