Trump’s changes to Reflecting Pool worry preservationists, locals

Some warned that the president’s blue-tinted resurfacing would distort the experience for visitors and make the national symbol resemble a “large lap pool.”

President Donald Trump this week unveiled his rapid project to resurface the Lincoln Memorial’s Reflecting Pool, saying that a contractor convinced him to use “American Flag Blue” to cover the pool’s basin. The changes have some historic preservationists feeling blue.

Trump on Thursday walked through his planned renovation of the century-old pool, touting his expertise at building “more than 100 swimming pools” during his real estate career, and saying that he had involved his personal contractors. The project — the most extensive overhaul of the reflecting pool in 15 years — will be completed in time to mark the nation’s 250th anniversary celebration on July 4, the president said.

“Now we have a nice clean surface on which we’re putting an industrial-grade swimming pool topping,” Trump said in a video released by the White House. The president said the new surface would prevent the leaks that have frequently affected the pool for several decades.

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By:  Dan Diamond
Source: The Washington Post

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