February 2nd 2025.
A federal lawsuit was brought forth in January by Robert McGee, owner of II in One, a Black-owned business located on Chicago's South Side. The suit accuses Thornton Tomasetti, a New York-based engineering company responsible for providing professional design services for the Obama Presidential Library, of racial discrimination. According to The Chicago Tribune, McGee and II in One claim that Thornton Tomasetti's actions have left their company in a dire financial situation, with $40 million in debt and the risk of bankruptcy looming over them.
The lawsuit states that these troubles stemmed from Thornton Tomasetti's "improper and unanticipated decision" to implement new rules for rebar spacing and tolerance requirements. McGee alleges that these changes led to excessive and unnecessary inspections, as well as an overwhelming amount of paperwork that negatively impacted their productivity and resulted in millions of dollars in losses. Furthermore, McGee contends that the professional design services company engaged in racial discrimination by unfairly targeting II in One for their mistakes, while giving non-minority-owned contractors a pass. This, according to McGee, has caused significant financial loss and damage to the reputation of his company.
This is not the first obstacle that the Obama Presidential Library has faced. The construction has already been stalled for several years due to legal challenges and concerns about building on public parkland. As a result, the opening of the library's museum has been pushed back to 2026, while the athletic center is now scheduled to open in 2025. The Wall Street Journal reports that this delay has resulted in a dubious record for the center, as it marks the longest time between the end of a presidency and the opening of an associated presidential library in modern history.
In response to the lawsuit, a spokesperson for the Obama Foundation, Emily Bitter, stated in an email to The Chicago Tribune that they have no reason to believe that Thornton Tomasetti has engaged in racist actions. She added that if they did discover any evidence of such behavior, they would take immediate action. However, neither the attorneys for II in One and the Concrete Collective joint venture, nor Thornton Tomasetti's lawyers, have provided any comments on the matter.
According to the lawsuit, Concrete Collective submitted a "request for equitable adjustment" in May 2023, which was rejected due to Thornton Tomasetti's alleged defamatory and discriminatory statements. As a result, the Collective had to self-fund approximately $41 million worth of work. The lawsuit claims that these accusations, which the larger company made without any evidence, were unfair and false and ultimately led to the Obama Foundation denying additional coverage for construction costs. This, in turn, went against the Foundation's goals of diversity, equity, and inclusion, as well as their mission to bring positive change to the construction industry and the local community.
Newsweek reports that the Obama Presidential Library has been embroiled in various controversies, particularly regarding its impact on the gentrification of Chicago's South Side and the area surrounding the historic Jackson Park. Former President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama attended the groundbreaking ceremony for the center last month, marking the start of construction after five years of legal battles, gentrification concerns, and a federal review.
These ongoing issues have resulted in a nearly 10-year gap between the unveiling of the plans for the library in 2017 and its scheduled opening in 2026. At the time of the initial announcement, the center's budget was estimated to be $500 million, but it has since increased to over $830 million. The Obama Presidential Library also holds a personal significance for the former president, as it is connected to his post-White House life. However, amidst criticisms that he was trying to depoliticize deeply political issues, Obama faced backlash from some who believed he should have been more actively involved in fighting against the Trump administration.
Charles Chamberlain, the executive director of the left-leaning advocacy group Democracy for America, told Vox that Obama's attempt to live in a post-partisan world was a mistake and that he should have been more vocal in supporting the resistance against Trump. Despite these challenges and controversies, it was recently announced that several Black construction companies have been selected to help build the $350 million Obama Presidential Center.
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