White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt holds up an artist rendering of the new triumphal arch as she speaks with reporters in the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House, Wednesday, in Washington. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump’s design for the Triumphal Arch he wants built at an entrance to the nation’s capital moved a step forward Thursday after a key agency reviewed the proposal for the first time. One commissioner suggested changes, including removing a Lady Liberty-like statue and a pair of eagles that would sit on top of the arch, adding to its height.

The arch is one of several projects the Republican president is pursuing alongside a White House ballroom to leave his lasting imprint on Washington.

The U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, whose members were appointed by Trump, approved the design concept for three projects: the arch, a plan to paint the gray granite exterior of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, and construction of an underground facility to conduct security screenings of tourists and other guests.

It’s the first step in the commission’s process. The federal agency next will review updated designs for all three projects at a future meeting before taking any final votes.

White House spokesperson Davis Ingle said the action by the commission is “another step in accomplishing President Trump’s promise to the American people from the campaign trail — to Make America Safe and Beautiful Again.”

The arch itself would stand 250 feet tall from its base to a torch held aloft by a Lady Liberty-like figure atop the structure. That figure would be flanked up top by two eagles and guarded at the base by four lions — all gilded. The phrases “One Nation Under God” and “Liberty and Justice for All” would be inscribed in gold lettering atop either side of the monument.

A public observation deck would provide 360-degree views of the surroundings.