(NEXSTAR) – The architect in charge of the White House ballroom revealed Thursday that officials within the Trump administration are “considering” an addition to part of the West Wing, as well. Shalom Baranes, speaking at a meeting of the National Capital Planning Commission, spoke mainly about the ballroom’s construction and the White House’s plans to “modernize” the framework of the structure that will replace the East Wing. As part of those plans, he explained, the White House is adding a second story to the East Colonnade, which would connect the East Room of the Executive Residence to the ballroom. And for purposes of "symmetry," the White House is toying with a second story on the other side of the residence, Baranes said. “We believe it’s appropriate to evaluate this condition within the context of the broader White House campus,” Baranes told NCPC commissioners. “The White House is therefore considering the idea of a modest one-story addition to the West Wing Colonnade, which will serve to restore a sense of symmetry around the original central pavilion.” Baranes then referred to several diagrams showing plans for the ballroom and a two-story East Colonnade, but none depicted the “modest” two-story West Colonnade he briefly mentioned. Baranes said further details of the project would be shown at a future NCPC hearing. During the meeting, NCPC members were also presented with proposed changes to the visitor access center, as well as unspecified improvements to Lafayette Park across the street. At the meeting, NCPC commissioner Phil Mendelson, the chairman of the D.C. Council, raised concerns about whether the plans could change even further ahead of, or during construction. Baranes said “anything’s possible,” but added that the plans had been thoroughly studied. In a statement obtained by Nexstar on Friday, Chairman Mendelson said he was still “deeply concerned” that the proposed construction would “overwhelm” the existing White House. “I am also very concerned that the public learned for the first time that other changes to the White House are being considered: enlarging the West Wing, modifying the visitors’ center, and even some changes to Lafayette Park,” Mendelson wrote, in part. “What the President wants should be considered in total, not piecemeal. I appreciate that he does not want delay, but he controls how quickly the plans can be put together and everyone agrees that the iterative process of design review always results in a better project. “In this case, we are talking about one of the most iconic landmarks of the nation, the peoples’ house,” Mendelson wrote. After the meeting, White House official Will Scharf, who was appointed the at-large chair of the NCPC by President Trump in July, expressed confidence that the project will receive the go-ahead. “I certainly, based on the presentation today, I fully expect that the commission will … approve this project,” Scharf told reporters. “I think you just saw a very positive response to these preliminary drawings.” He acknowledged Mendelson's concerns and suggested they would be addressed. When completed, the “modernized” East Wing will have a total area of approximately 89,000 feet (across multiple floors), with 22,000 dedicated to the ballroom. Its most recent cost estimate is $400 million, which would be paid for by private donations, according to the White House. The Associated Press contributed to this report.