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A major restoration project at one of America’s most iconic landmarks has erupted into a legal battle, as critics move to halt a $13.1 million overhaul of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. The dispute centers on allegations of bypassed bidding rules, escalating costs, and fears that the historic character of the site is being fundamentally altered ahead of the nation’s 250th anniversary celebrations.

Historic Landmark at the Center of a Growing Legal Fight

A project to fix and paint the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, which President Donald Trump said would cost up to $2m (£1.5m), is now expected to cost $13.1m, federal records show.

The no-bid contract went to a Virginia company, which critics say bypassed a federal requirement for competing offers.

That decision triggered immediate legal action from a nonprofit group seeking to stop the work entirely, arguing that federal protections for historic landmarks were ignored.

The Cultural Landscape Foundation filed its lawsuit on Monday asking a judge to halt the renovations.

“Every day that the resurfacing continues, the historic character of the Reflecting Pool is being further and fundamentally altered,”

The project began last week as part of Trump’s broader push to beautify Washington, DC ahead of America’s 250th birthday celebrations this summer.

Trump Defends Project as Restoration Effort

When asked about the work on Tuesday, Trump insisted the overhaul would finally solve long-standing problems.

“for the first time since 1922 [the reflecting pool is] going to work properly”.

The reflecting pool stretches 2,030ft (620m) between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument and has long suffered from leaks, structural deterioration, faulty pipes, algae growth, and bird droppings.

Even after a $34m renovation between 2010 and 2012 under President Barack Obama, which added a new circulation and filtration system, issues persisted, including leaks and algae blooms.

Costs Surge Far Beyond Initial Estimates

Federal records show the project has now ballooned to $13.1m, more than seven times the president’s early estimate of $1.5m to $2m.

The Trump administration awarded a $6.9m contract using an exemption intended for emergency situations, later expanding the total funding for the project.

The Department of the Interior, which oversees US natural resources and cultural heritage, awarded the contract to Atlantic Industrial Coatings, a Virginia-based firm.

The BBC has contacted Atlantic Industrial Coatings for comment.

The contract requires completion by 22 May, significantly faster than originally expected, placing the project on a tight timeline ahead of America’s semiquincentennial on 4 July.

Legal Challenge Questions Process and Preservation Rules

Critics argue the no-bid award bypassed required competitive procedures and violated protections for historic sites.

The lawsuit seeks to immediately halt construction, warning that continued work could permanently alter the landmark’s historic integrity.

Trump Distances Himself From Contract Decision

On Tuesday, Trump attempted to distance himself from the contracting process while maintaining support for the project’s goals.

On his Truth Social platform, he said he “didn't give out the contract” and that the Department of the Interior awarded the work “to a contractor I did not know, and have never used before”.

However, he previously described taking a hands-on role in shaping the approach to the repairs.

Speaking last month, he said he rejected traditional bids because he believed he had a better method for completing the work at a lower cost.

“I said, what we're going to do is I'm going to call all three of these people that have worked for me in the past, doing swimming pools,”

He also visited the site last week as the reflecting pool was drained for inspection.

Part of a Broader Push to Reshape Washington

The controversy adds to a growing list of Trump-backed construction and redesign efforts since returning to Washington.

Plans include a proposed 250-foot victory arch, the demolition of the White House East Wing to build a ballroom, and the addition of his name to major institutions such as the Kennedy Center and the Institute of Peace.

As the reflecting pool project accelerates toward its May deadline, the legal and political battle over its future shows no sign of slowing, with preservationists and the administration now locked in a high-stakes dispute over cost, process, and historical legacy.