Where once there was grass, then the giant “claw” UFC arena, there will next be a helipad.
Donald Trump confirmed on Monday that the circular construction on the South Lawn of the White House would be a helipad for Marine One.
It’s the latest project that has turned the White House into a construction zone, with the East Wing demolished to make way for a new ballroom, the Rose Garden lawn paved over for patio tables and seating, and the West Wing colonnade replaced with black granite.
Now we’re building a helipad, a beautiful helipad,” Trump told reporters, saying that Lockheed Martin’s Sikorsky will pay the $5 million to $6 million cost. He said that the helipad will be needed because the new Sikorsky Marine One helicopters ruin the grass. The helipad, Trump said, has “got the seal of the White House, an eagle, and it’s carved out of granite.”
A number of Trump’s projects face legal challenges, including the new White House ballroom as well as his plans to transform East Potomac Park’s public golf course into championship links.
The South Lawn for months was transformed into an arena with a giant overhang, known as “The Claw,” for UFC’s championship event on June 14.
