The White House is considering plans to construct an underground visitor screening center as part of a broader effort to reshape parts of the presidential grounds. The proposal, which was included in the preliminary agenda for an upcoming federal planning meeting, aims to improve security procedures and streamline the experience for guests and tourists visiting the White House complex.
According to the plans, the new facility would measure approximately 33,000 square feet and would be located beneath Sherman Park. This park sits southeast of the White House and directly south of the U.S. Treasury building. The project would involve cooperation among several government entities, including the Executive Office of the President, the U.S. Secret Service, and the National Park Service, which manages the White House grounds.
The proposed screening center would include seven security lanes designed to handle visitor processing more efficiently. Officials believe this design could reduce wait times and improve the flow of people entering the White House. The facility would serve as the primary location where tourists and invited guests undergo security checks before accessing parts of the complex.
For many years, Sherman Park was already familiar to White House visitors. The area previously served as the place where tourists and guests lined up for security screening before walking through temporary trailer-style structures on their way to the East Wing entrance. However, that process changed after President Donald Trump ordered the demolition of the East Wing last fall to make room for a large ballroom planned for the site. Since that demolition, visitors have been directed to line up near Lafayette Park across Pennsylvania Avenue.
The underground screening center would attempt to provide a more permanent and organized solution compared with the temporary arrangements used in recent years. By placing the facility beneath the park, planners aim to maintain the appearance of the surrounding area while still improving security infrastructure. The monument of Union General William Tecumseh Sherman, which stands in the center of Sherman Park, would remain in place and would not be moved as part of the project.
Construction on the screening center could begin as early as August if the project receives the required approvals. The White House hopes to have the facility completed and operating by July 2028, about six months before the end of Trump’s current presidential term. The timeline suggests that planners want the project finished before the next presidential transition period.
Before any construction can begin, the proposal must be reviewed by the National Capital Planning Commission, the federal body responsible for approving major construction projects on federal land in Washington, D.C. The commission is scheduled to discuss the plan during its April 2 meeting, where members will review the design and consider whether to move the proposal forward.
During the same meeting, the commission is also expected to debate and vote on another project tied to the redesign of the White House grounds. That proposal involves constructing a 90,000-square-foot building that would include the large ballroom planned to replace the demolished East Wing.
Together, the ballroom and the underground screening center represent part of a wider plan to update portions of the White House complex while adapting the space to current security and visitor needs. If approved, the projects would reshape how visitors arrive, pass through security, and enter one of the most recognizable government buildings in the United States.New Underground Security Facility Proposed for White House Visitors
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