Kamala Harris ‘frustrated about living out of suitcases’ in 70,000 sq ft Blair House as VP mansion is renovated
Vice President Kamala Harris is reportedly getting increasingly frustrated after being unable to move into the private residence reserved for the vice president because it's still undergoing renovations and is instead having to live "out of suitcases" at their temporary abode -- which is Blair House, situated on Pennsylvania Avenue across from the White House, that has been called “the world’s most exclusive hotel.”
Blair House, which is a complex of four townhouses, often used as a state guest house to host visiting dignitaries and other guests of the president, is not a shabby place to inhabit. “The property contains 119 rooms, including 14 guest bedrooms and 35 bathrooms, among other functional spaces. At 70,000 square feet, Blair House is larger than the White House,” the General Services Administration says on its webpage.
READ MORE
However, an administration official told CNN, "she is getting frustrated," noting that with each passing day the VP's desire to move in to her designated house grows stronger. Since Harris took office on January 20, it is anyone's guess as to why the renovations at the vice president’s mansion at Number One Observatory Circle, where the U.S. Naval Observatory is located, is taking so long. The home is 9,000-plus square feet and was built in 1893.
According to the contract on the United States government spending website, reviewed by CNN, there has been detail intensive foundational work conducted at the vice president's residence over the last few years, including a retention pond to a replaced tank system for $164,000 from last September. There is also an ongoing $3.8 million contract for "plumbing, heating and air-conditioning contractors."
The report by CNN also suggested that Harris herself might be partly responsible for the renovation work being delayed on her VP home. Two administration staff with knowledge of the ongoing updates told CNN that Harris requested work be done on the kitchen because she likes to cook. But Sabrina Singh, Harris' deputy press secretary, said in a statement Sunday that "there is no work being done on the kitchen at the Naval Observatory residence." “If I’m cooking, I feel like I’m in control of my life,” Harris once told New York Magazine’s The Cut.
The outlet reported that the second couple are used to a more laid-back vibe when they are home -- more casual, West Coast informality, including frequent visits from family and large Sunday suppers, which is lacking in their current home. Blair House, although provides all the comforts and luxury of a high-end hotel, including a professional, full-time staff of more than a dozen, a gym and private hair salon, its 100-plus rooms decked out in antiques and museum-quality pieces of American history, does not provide the feels of home.
Three weeks ago, Harris was spotted at her future home, popping in for an hour-long visit, according to CNN.