{"id":17105,"date":"2026-07-25T20:35:48","date_gmt":"2026-07-25T15:35:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=17105"},"modified":"2026-07-25T20:35:48","modified_gmt":"2026-07-25T15:35:48","slug":"obama-presidential-center-subcontractors-file-new-legal-claims-saying-they-are-owed-nearly-900k","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=17105","title":{"rendered":"Obama Presidential Center subcontractors file new legal claims saying they are owed nearly $900K"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script>\r\n  atOptions = {\r\n    'key' : '644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6',\r\n    'format' : 'iframe',\r\n    'height' : 90,\r\n    'width' : 728,\r\n    'params' : {}\r\n  };\r\n<\/script>\r\n<script src=\"https:\/\/www.highperformanceformat.com\/644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<br \/><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content%2Fuploads%2Fsites%2F2%2F2026%2F07%2Fmuseum-building-obama-presidential-center-135465924.jpg?quality%3D90%26strip%3Dall\" \/><\/p>\n<div>\n<aside class=\"single__inline-module alignleft wp-block-nypost-editor-partner-article-links\">\n<\/aside>\n<p>Three more <a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2026\/07\/24\/us-news\/obama-presidential-center-subcontractor-shuts-down-lays-off-25-after-claiming-its-owed-4m\/\">subcontractors that worked on the\u00a0Obama Presidential Center<\/a>\u00a0have filed legal claims saying they are owed nearly $900,000, adding to a growing list of payment disputes surrounding the project.<\/p>\n<p>The companies each filed mechanics liens against the <a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2026\/06\/20\/us-news\/obama-center-engineer-reveals-former-presidents-vision-that-inspired-polarizing-building-design\/\">Obama Presidential Center property<\/a>, a routine legal tool used on construction projects to recover unpaid construction costs. <\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2026\/06\/17\/us-news\/obama-presidential-center-subcontractors-claim-their-owed-millions-and-facing-financial-ruin-ahead-of-grand-opening\/\">subcontractors claim they are owed money<\/a> for structural steel, excavation and concrete, and gymnasium flooring work performed on Home Court, the Center\u2019s 60,000-square-foot basketball and events facility.<\/p>\n<p>Structural steel subcontractor Area Erectors is seeking nearly $620,000, excavation and concrete subcontractor CSI 3000 \u2014 the only Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) of the three \u2014 claims it is owed about $236,000, and gymnasium flooring specialist Floors Incorporated says it is owed nearly $25,000.<\/p>\n<p>Unlike <a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2025\/02\/02\/us-news\/obama-presidential-center-facing-40m-discrimination-lawsuit\/\">previous payment disputes<\/a> reported by Fox News Digital, which largely involved work across the main campus, these claims relate specifically to Home Court, which was built under a separate construction contract. <\/p>\n<p>It comes as Home Court is hosting several high-profile WNBA All-Star Weekend events this week which <a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2026\/07\/24\/sports\/barack-obama-holds-court-at-wnbas-all-star-practice\/\">the former president attended<\/a>.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>The Museum Building at the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago, Illinois, is pictured on July 12, 2026. <span class=\"credit\">Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Landscapers make final touches outside the Barack Obama Presidential Center ahead of a dedication ceremony in John Lewis Plaza on June 18, 2026, in Chicago. <span class=\"credit\">Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The Home Court claims are the latest in a series of subcontractor payment disputes previously reported by Fox News Digital involving the broader Obama Presidential Center project, located in Chicago\u2019s historic Jackson Park. <\/p>\n<p>The disputes add to a growing list of challenges during construction, including the project\u2019s ballooning cost \u2014 from an initial estimate of about\u00a0$350 million to more than $1 billion\u00a0\u2014 and legal challenges over contracting practices and diversity requirements.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Home Court construction<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>The Home Court is located at the southern end of the campus and features a regulation-size\u00a0NBA basketball court, training space and multipurpose meeting and event rooms. <\/p>\n<p>The basketball court is decorated with phrases associated with former President Barack Obama, including \u201cYes we can\u201d and \u201cNo one does big things alone.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The\u00a0Obama Foundation, Obama\u2019s private nonprofit organization, oversees construction of the Obama Presidential Center. It hired Lakeside Alliance as the primary construction manager for most of the campus.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Construction continues at the Barack Obama Presidential Center on August 20, 2025, in Chicago. <span class=\"credit\">Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Home Court, however, was built under a separate contract by Elevate Design Builders, a joint venture led by minority-owned BOWA Construction that served as construction manager for the facility.<\/p>\n<p>Although the mechanics liens are filed against the Obama Presidential Center property, they do not determine which entity is legally responsible for the disputed payments.<\/p>\n<p>The newly identified liens were recorded around the time of the\u00a0Obama Presidential Center\u2019s June 19 opening. <\/p>\n<div class=\"single__inline-module inline-module inline-module--newsletter aligncenter inline-module--nypostbusinessunit aligncenter wp-block-nypost-editor-newsletter\" data-source-unit=\"Inline Newsletter Module Morning Report\">\n<div class=\"inline-module__inner\">\n<div class=\"inline-module__title-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"inline-module__unsubmitted-title-wrapper\">\n<h3 class=\"inline-module__title headline headline--combo-sm-md\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tStart your day with all you need to know\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n<p class=\"inline-module__cta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMorning Report delivers the latest news, videos, photos and more.\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><h3 class=\"inline-module__title headline headline--combo-sm-md\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tThanks for signing up!\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>The Cook County Clerk\u2019s Office told Fox News Digital there is typically a four-to-six-week delay before recorded documents appear in its online property records database, meaning they only recently became searchable online.<\/p>\n<p>Elevate and the Obama Foundation did not respond to a request for comment, nor did the three subcontractors.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Three more liens identified<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Fox News Digital also identified an additional three previously unreported mechanics liens totaling about $557,000 involving other portions of the Obama Presidential Center project.<\/p>\n<p>Unlike the Home Court claims, which stem from work performed under contracts managed by Elevate Design Builders, the additional liens involve subcontractors, suppliers and benefit funds seeking payment further down the project\u2019s contracting chain.<\/p>\n<p>For instance, O\u2019Leary\u2019s Contractors Equipment &amp; Supply is seeking about $184,000 in allegedly unpaid equipment rental invoices. <\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>The Obama Presidential Center signage is pictured in Chicago on July 12, 2026. <span class=\"credit\">Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The Cement Masons\u2019 Union Trust Funds alleges more than $326,000 in unpaid fringe benefit contributions, while Intek Construction Products is seeking about $47,000 for labor and materials it says it supplied to the project.<\/p>\n<p>Jeffrey Molchan, whose company Intek Construction Products filed one of the liens, told Fox News Digital the company was seeking payment on its final invoice from another contractor and that \u201cthe project did not go as well as we anticipated in terms of the timeliness of the payment.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The additional liens involve portions of the project managed by Lakeside Alliance. <\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>Former President Barack Obama surprises a group of high school freshman girls during the WNBA Changemaker Day at the Obama Presidential Center in Jackson Park on the South Side of Chicago, on July 24, 2026. <span class=\"credit\">Candace Dane Chambers\/Chicago Sun-Times via AP<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>In a statement, Lakeside said the Obama Presidential Center involved multiple structures, hundreds of trade partners and community businesses, and that contractual closeout continues after the center\u2019s opening. <\/p>\n<p>The joint venture said it remains committed to working through outstanding matters.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Previous payment disputes<\/h2>\n<p>Fox News Digital previously reported that Black subcontractors\u00a0alleged they were owed millions\u00a0of dollars for work on the project, while Concrete Collective filed a mechanics lien seeking more than $40 million. <\/p>\n<p>The lien was later replaced by a court-approved surety bond while the underlying dispute continues in court. Adamson Plumbing also said it suspended operations and laid off workers after claiming it was left nearly $4 million in the red.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><figcaption>The Museum Building, looking North up Stony Island Avenue at the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago, is pictured on July 12, 2026. <span class=\"credit\">Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Fox News Digital also\u00a0previously reported\u00a0that at least four other companies filed mechanics liens during construction, while two subcontractors \u2014 Glass Management Services and Vision Painting &amp; Decorating Services \u2014 later sought Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. <\/p>\n<p>Court records do not establish that the Obama Presidential Center caused those bankruptcies.<\/p>\n<p>Since that reporting, two of the previously identified mechanics lien claims have been withdrawn, including one after the claimant said it recovered the amount sought through the lien, though the owner told Fox News Digital the company still lost about $200,000 on the project overall. <\/p>\n<p>One previously reported lien remains unresolved.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<script async=\"async\" data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"https:\/\/pl30214220.effectivecpmnetwork.com\/9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<div id=\"container-9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\"><\/div>\r\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Three more subcontractors that worked on the\u00a0Obama Presidential Center\u00a0have filed legal claims saying they are owed nearly $900,000, adding to a growing list of payment disputes surrounding the project. The companies each filed mechanics liens against the Obama Presidential Center property, a routine legal tool used on construction projects to recover unpaid construction costs. The&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":17106,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/07\/museum-building-obama-presidential-center-135465924.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=1200","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-17105","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-pics-news"],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17105","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=17105"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17105\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/17106"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=17105"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=17105"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=17105"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}