'Some one pointed out the bomb shelter for the White House was under the East Wing. During the day, one would think the bombers were go for the West Wing where the machinery of government would be located. At night, they would go for the White House. The East Wing was thought to be the safest part of the house for the shelter.
Though in 1942 when that shelter was first constructed (with the East Wing on top of it) the level of precision to hit just part of the White House didn't exist for strategic bombing. Dive bombers could achieve that accuracy, but the bomb load wouldn't be enough to destroy the building (good against tanks, or with several hits a ship, but not against large buildings) and the range they could operate over short enough that an enemy would need to occupy a large part of the Eastern US to have airfields in range. Even into 1944 with the bombing of German cities the US Air Force and RAF Bomber Command were still classifying bombs as being "on target" if they landed within a mile of what they were targeting.
Which is to say, the bomb shelter is where it is because it was easier to put it into open ground and build something on top than excavate underneath one of the existing buildings on the site.
What's this I hear about the east wing being riddled with asbestos? That should leave a pleasing legacy to the construction workers and indeed the denizens of Pennsylvania Ave.
It's quite possible, the age of the building is a bit on the old side for widespread use of asbestos but it's been renovated often enough that there could be asbestos there. There would have been an extensive survey down to confirm there wasn't any prior to actual demolition of the building, any successful property developer would know to do that.
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Now that that's gone....
Which is to say, the bomb shelter is where it is because it was easier to put it into open ground and build something on top than excavate underneath one of the existing buildings on the site.