Cultural Heritage Partners, the organization that had sued to block work on the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, withdrew its legal motion Friday after reaching an agreement with the General Services Administration (GSA). The group said it accepted assurances that no action would be taken on the building before March 1, 2026.
The D.C.-based nonprofit and law firm had asked the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia for a temporary restraining order, preliminary injunction, and expedited hearing. They withdrew the motion following a third declaration from Andrew Heller, acting commissioner of GSA’s Public Buildings Service, confirming that the agency would not seek bids, sign contracts, or draft designs for power washing, painting, or repointing the building’s exterior until the specified date.
Cultural Heritage Partners and the D.C. Preservation League originally sued on November 14, targeting the Trump administration, GSA, and the National Park Service over plans to paint the historic building white. The lawsuit claimed the plan violated the National Environmental Policy Act by failing to evaluate environmental impacts or provide public notice and comment. It also cited the National Historic Preservation Act, which requires federal agencies to consider effects on historic properties. The Eisenhower building, along with neighboring structures, has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1969.