Poetic Justice: Obama Library Delayed – Discrimination Lawsuits, Environmental Injunctions, Enrichment Allegations

The proposed Obama Center in Chicago has become a towering welter of lawsuits and other issues.

The project was first proposed in 2017 after former President Barack Obama left the White House. From the outset, the project was stalled by resident opposition and other concerns. Once scheduled to open in 2021, the project now as an opening date of 2026.

The Institute for Policy Innovation complained that the center’s “poor location misses valuable opportunities to improve overall land use and economic development in Chicago from putting it elsewhere.”

“The Foundation’s sweetheart deal with Chicago violates the public trust doctrine, and the actual transfer took place without the Foundation meeting either its financial preconditions or the multiple environmental laws protecting key public landmarks. Even at this late date, the deal should be undone.

“If allowed to be completed, the OPC project would uproot close to 1,000 mature trees and disrupt major migratory bird paths that run north-to-south along the shore of Lake Michigan. In total, the public cost of the new roadwork — borne by both the federal government and Illinois, but not the Obama Foundation, of course — probably exceeds $300 million dollars (and growing with inflation), ultimately leaving the already overtaxed and congested system with three fewer north-south lanes than before,” it wrote

As problems have risen, support for the venture has fallen.

In 2023, the Obama Foundation raked in $129.3 million toward its programming and construction, according to the Hyde Park Herald. The year before, it took in $311,359,661.

And now, a Chicago-based subcontractor has filed a $40 million lawsuit, claiming that racial discriminatory practices have harmed the company, according to WFLD.

The suit was filed against Thornton Tomasetti, the lead firm for the $830 million project.

“In a shocking and disheartening turn of events, the African American owner of a local construction company finds himself and his company on the brink of forced closure because of racial discrimination by the structural engineer,” the lawsuit said.

“II in One and its joint venture partners … was subjected to baseless criticisms and defamatory and discriminatory accusations by the Obama Foundation’s structural engineer, Thornton Tomasetti,” the lawsuit said.

The suit claims Thornton Tomasetti altered standards from those of the American Concrete Institute standards, resulting in “excessively rigorous and unnecessary inspection” and major cost overruns.

Thornton Tomasetti has said the subcontractor was “questionably qualified.”

In a memo, the company said it and another firm “bent over backwards to assist what everyone knows was a questionably qualified subcontractor team in areas where more qualified subcontractor would not have required it.”

🚨 The Obama Foundation is facing a $40 million lawsuit over alleged discriminatory building standards at the Obama Presidential Center. 🚨

But this case exposes a bigger problem: how anti-white policies in contracting are destroying businesses. Let’s break it down. 🧵👇 pic.twitter.com/2MwTBGGEMf

— Painter’s Servant (@PaintServant) February 4, 2025

Controversy also surrounds the cost of foundation staff.

Former White House aide and Obama Foundation CEO Valeria Jarrett made $740,000 in one year to run the project, according to the U.K.’s Daily Mail.

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