Final Arch Plans Filed With Planning Commission Show an Observation Deck and Elevators, but No Sign of the ‘Military Complex’ Trump Described
The final plans for President Donald Trump’s proposed 250-foot arch near Arlington National Cemetery describe an observation deck, five elevators and granite cladding, but they make no mention of the “top grade Military Complex” Trump said in September the arch would become.
The Interior Department submitted the arch final plans to the National Capital Planning Commission, the federal agency that reviews building projects in the capital region. The commission is set to consider approval of the final site and building plans at its Nov. 5 meeting, according to the commission’s project page.
The Digital Free Press is not the first to report the gap. The Washington Post reported Friday, when the plans were released, that the final plans do not include the military features Trump had touted.
WHAT THE ARCH FINAL PLANS DESCRIBE
According to the commission’s project synopsis, the arch would be an approximately 250-foot-tall reinforced concrete structure, built on Memorial Circle at the west end of Arlington Memorial Bridge. It would be finished with granite and topped by a central figure and two eagles. The arch would be 166 feet wide, with a 55-foot-wide opening, “providing views from the observation deck to area landmarks,” the synopsis says.
Inside, the plans call for six stairways and five elevators: two pairs serving the lower public levels and a fifth serving the observation deck, according to the synopsis. The synopsis says the interior “has not changed since the preliminary review,” which the commission approved on July 9. It says the applicant updated its transportation and lighting plans and that “no other plan elements have changed.”
A revised environmental finding signed by National Park Service officials on Oct. 9 lays out four levels: a ground floor with security screening, a gallery level with exhibit space and possibly a café and gift shop, a mechanical level and the observation deck, with about 9,560 square feet of outdoor deck space.
The plans do include security. The finding lists rooftop and perimeter security cameras, video surveillance, access control for nonpublic areas, and a screening area with walk-through metal detectors, X-ray machines and explosive trace detectors. A barricade wall and bollards would protect the plaza, and vehicle access would be limited to maintenance, contractor, law enforcement and emergency vehicles.
TDFP searched the full text of the synopsis, both submission volumes, the revised environmental assessment, the revised finding and the height justification posted for the Nov. 5 meeting. None mentions a military complex, snipers or ammunition. The only reference to drones is a plan to take archival drone photographs of the historic views before construction begins.
WHAT TRUMP SAID IN SEPTEMBER
On Sept. 20, Trump wrote on Truth Social: “At the strong request of the United States Military, and for National Security purposes, I have agreed to convert the magnificent Triumphal Arch, planned since the Civil War Era many years ago, at the Receptive Circle adjoining the Arlington Memorial Bridge, into a top grade Military Complex/Triumphal Arch,” according to the New York Post.
He said the arch would “house, store, and have the rapid ability to use large numbers of drones, plus Snipers, on both the roof and plaza areas,” and would hold “large quantities of sniper ammunition in storage,” the Post reported. “There will be no facility like this anywhere in the World,” Trump wrote, according to Fox News.
Those were Trump’s own descriptions. The documents filed for the commission’s final review do not include them.
WHAT COMES NEXT
At its July meeting, the commission asked the Interior Department to bring a justification for the arch’s height, updated traffic information, details on visitor pick-up and parking, lighting plans and its final granite choice to the final review. The synopsis marks each of those as provided, with work with highway and local transportation agencies still ongoing.
The commission also said in July that it is still weighing whether the Height of Buildings Act binds the federal government, a question it said it must decide before taking final action on the project.
The arch has drawn criticism from preservationists, lawmakers and veterans who say it could block views of the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery, Fox News reported in September.
Sources: National Capital Planning Commission, New Monumental Arch (file 8778) project page and final review documents for the Nov. 5, 2026 meeting: project synopsis, applicant submission materials, revised environmental assessment, revised Finding of No Significant Impact (signed Oct. 9, 2026) and Height of Buildings Act justification; New York Post (Sept. 20, 2026); Fox News (Sept. 20, 2026); The Washington Post (Oct. 16, 2026). Cover: National Park Service photo (public domain). In-post background: G. Edward Johnson via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0).
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