During a virtual meeting yesterday evening, the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) approved the final proposal of the Monumental Arch. In response, Brent Leggs, President and CEO of the National Trust for Historic Preservation issued the following statement:

“Last night’s vote to advance the Arch was a sham—it undermines the democratic process, violates federal statute, and insults our nation’s veterans who have made the ultimate sacrifice. From the start, this Arch project has been driven by an artificial sense of urgency, while public opposition has been brushed aside. Our nation’s great monuments were not hurried into existence. They were carefully planned, skillfully executed, and built with enduring materials and construction methods intended to last for centuries. This is certainly not the case for this project. We were grateful to see that any pre-construction activities have been halted for 14 days through a court order issued shortly after the NCPC vote, as part of ongoing litigation that the National Trust has supported through an amicus brief. The National Trust and our partners will continue to vehemently oppose construction of the Arch and all that it represents through every available channel.”