With former real estate developer Donald Trump as president, the once-quiet world of federal property management in the nation’s capital has become a flashpoint.

Historic preservationists have sued the General Services Administration and other agencies, as well as the president, to stop the construction of the planned ballroom on White House grounds until statutorily mandated reviews are conducted. They’ve also sought to stop the White House from renovating the Eisenhower Executive Office Building — next door to the White House — until the plans are vetted.

Preservationists are also trying to preserve other historically significant federal buildings in Washington, including the former Department of Housing and Urban Development headquarters, constructed in the brutalist architectural style. Meanwhile, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell is pushing back against a probe the Department of Justice launched against him related to his testimony to Congress about the high cost of renovations to the central bank’s headquarters. 

The back-and-forth among agencies and organizations over real estate matters like these, and the national news coverage it’s generated, opens a window to the role public buildings play in the cultural life of the United States. Facilities Dive has compiled its coverage of the issues from the past six months.