Donald Trump has taken his battle to build a Jones Beach catering hall to court and he spoke exclusively with News 12 Long Island about the situation.

Trump is taking on the state over his proposed ?Trump on the Ocean? catering hall. Earlier in the month, a state board denied Trump and his partner Steven Carl, a variance to build a basement in the hall. Trump is suing New York?s Department of State and Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation.

Trump says the state has backed out of a promise to let the restaurant include a basement.

?We had signed a lease. They approved the basement, they approved everything,? Trump says. ?And in fact, when they approved the financing, because we have financing from North Fork Bank, they went and approved the financing and the financing has the basement in it.?

Trump says he specifically blames the new parks commissioner Carol Ash.

A spokeswoman from the parks department says it is reviewing the lawsuit.

Civic activist Pat Friedman, who is opposed to the $300 million project, says the basement wasn?t part of the original deal and the state is right to reject a building plan that includes it.

Trump says because of the new court battle, there is no way the catering hall will be completed in spring of 2009, as he had hoped.

Trumpto sue over denial of permit for restaurantBoardsays 'no' to basement for Trump restaurant