The National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) convened on Thursday, July 9, 2026, to review preliminary site and building plans for President Donald Trump's proposed 250-foot triumphal arch in Washington, D.
C.
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The federal oversight agency's staff recommended approving the preliminary plans but urged modifications to comply with the 1910 Height of Buildings Act, which limits building heights in downtown Washington to protect the historic skyline.
"Staff suggests the Commission request the applicant revise the project design to comply with the Height of Buildings Act and return to NCPC for final approval," the 185-page report states.
Adhering to the federal law would require design changes to redistribute height among the main structure, habitable roof, and statuary, though the total structure would still reach the desired 250 feet, according to the report.
Historical Context and Legal Basis
President Trump argued that the monument fulfills a century-old congressional vision from 1925 that originally authorized a bridge and a pair of 166-foot columns at Memorial Circle, though the columns were never constructed.
"People pass that circle, they say, why isn't something built here?" Trump said in the Oval Office in May.
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, who is helping oversee the project, told a federal commission in April that the new design builds on the historical concept by keeping the core columns at 166 feet, but adding 84 feet of pedestal and statuary to reach the 250-foot total height.
