Subcontractors who helped build Barack Obama’s Presidential Library in Chicago say they are owed millions of dollars for their work. Adamson Plumbing owner Mike Owen says his company submitted invoices for $4 million for work on Obama’s presidential library. But the invoices are still unpaid.
“That is a hole that no subcontractor, small business can survive,” Owen said. He said the project stretched on for years longer than scheduled. His company was forced to absorb millions of dollars in labor and overhead costs. “I haven’t had eight hours or six hours sleep in over a year,” Owen told Fox News. “I’m cooked emotionally. I feel like an aluminum can that’s been thrown in front of a steamroller. We’re crushed. And I have to fight for my company and for my people.”
The 19.3-acre center on Chicago’s South Side is set to open to the public on Juneteenth (Friday, June 19). Subcontractors raced to complete the Barack Obama Presidential Center ahead of the grand opening.
The Obama Presidential Center is finally opening!
Tune in today on https://t.co/GYkEOK8EuT starting at 11am CT as Michelle and I share what this moment means to us and celebrate with friends, family, and members of the community in Chicago. pic.twitter.com/fZG3S0tgcL
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) June 18, 2026
General contractors were paid, but black and Hispanic subcontractors are still waiting for their money. Several subcontractors who spoke with Fox News described a wall of silence surrounding the project. Some subcontractors declined to speak publicly or requested anonymity because of confidentiality agreements they signed.
They say they’re facing financial ruin if they don’t recover millions of dollars that they are owed. Overall construction costs for the Obama Center were reported to be $830 million and as much as $1 billion, according to Fox News. The unpaid invoices conflicts with the Center’s goal to help local businesses grow.
The center held a pre-opening celebration on Thursday, June 18, with a star-studded lineup of performers, including Stevie Wonder, Jennifer Hudson, John Legend and Bruce Springsteen. Guests seen at the pre-opening celebration on Thursday include Andrew Young, Tyler Perry, Oprah Winfrey, LL Cool J, George Lucas, Conan O’Brien, Stephen Colbert, former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, Nancy Pelosi, Bill and Hillary Clinton, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, and many more.
The Obama Foundation said it paid a company called Lakeside Alliance to hire the subcontractors and the company is responsible for paying the subcontractors.
MILLIONS OWED: Some minority-owned and local subcontractors who helped build the Obama Presidential Center say they're owed millions and face financial ruin as the campus prepares to open on Juneteenth.
A Fox News Digital investigation found claimed losses ranging from hundreds… pic.twitter.com/Gq8j4TBrSg
— Fox News (@FoxNews) June 17, 2026
The Obama Foundation said it paid Lakeside Alliance, the project's construction manager, which was responsible for hiring and paying subcontractors. Lakeside said outstanding project matters are still being worked through.
— Rick Compton (@rickcomp52) June 17, 2026
We can’t wait to welcome you to the Obama Presidential Center. Tune in now to hear our remarks along with performances by artists and changemakers from around the world who will join us here on the South Side of Chicago. https://t.co/WvFn8i3IKM
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) June 18, 2026
Once again, just like the DNC, TikTokers are allowed to mingle with politicians and celebrities at the Obama Center while the press is penned up ? pic.twitter.com/xqF8DS6igK
— Leigh Giangreco (@LeighGiangreco) June 18, 2026