CHICAGO — The Obama Presidential Center was billed as a lasting legacy to former President Barack Obama, and its construction was touted as an ambitious model built with aggressive goals for minority-owned and local businesses.

But now, some of the very subcontractors who helped build the 19.3-acre campus on Chicago’s South Side say they are facing financial ruin as they race to recover millions of dollars they claim remain unpaid ahead of the center’s grand opening Friday. Overall construction costs were reported to be $830 million in 2021, and have likely climbed past the $1 billion mark.

A Fox News Digital investigation identified multiple construction firms claiming losses ranging from hundreds of thousands of dollars to tens of millions. The allegations cut against one of the Center’s defining goals: helping minority-owned businesses and local contractors grow through one of Chicago’s highest-profile construction projects. Several of the complaints reviewed by Fox News Digital come from firms that were supposed to benefit from that mission.

Among them is Adamson Plumbing, whose owner Mike Owen says is nearly $4 million in the red after years of work on the project.

«That is a hole that no subcontractor, small business can survive,» Owen said.

OBAMA PRESIDENTIAL CENTER’S $470M SAFETY NET UNDER SCRUTINY AS SUBCONTRACTORS SAY THEY’RE OWED MILLIONS

Subcontractor owners interviewed by Fox News Digital described what they characterized as a chaotic work environment marked by repeated design changes, rework, scheduling disruptions, extensive oversight and years-long compensation disputes that still remain unresolved.

Several also described what they viewed as a wall of silence surrounding the project, with some declining to speak publicly or requesting anonymity because of confidentiality agreements or fears of professional retaliation.

The allegations emerge days after a Fox News Digital investigation reported that the Obama Foundation’s reserve fund — originally promoted as a $470 million financial safeguard intended to help protect taxpayers if the project encountered financial trouble — remains funded at roughly $1 million.

Nearly $4 million in the red

Standing outside the center on a gloomy Friday afternoon, Owen flipped through spreadsheets and financial records that he said documented millions of dollars in losses tied to the project.

Owen said the project stretched on for years longer than anticipated, forcing his company to absorb millions of dollars in labor and overhead costs as work demands changed and expanded.

He said the losses have drained the company’s reserves, created uncertainty for employees and could ultimately force layoffs. Owen also said the years-long effort to recover what he believes is money owed has taken a significant toll on his mental health.

«I haven’t had eight hours or six hours sleep in over a year,» Owen said. «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.»

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Mike Owen, president and owner of Adamson Plumbing, reviews documents outside the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago. (Michael Dorgan/Fox News Digital)

As the center prepares for a star-studded pre-opening celebration on Thursday featuring performers including Bruce Springsteen, Stevie Wonder and John Legend, Owen said it has been difficult to watch the buildup and soft-opening events take shape over the past few weeks while his company struggles financially.

«It was kind of hard seeing some local and national celebrities high-fiving and back-slapping here about the work that’s been done,» Owen said. «The backdrop of a coming celebration is kind of hard to swallow for me and for some of my peers at the moment.»

Owen, whose company is not minority-owned, said he decided to speak publicly only after months of failed efforts to recover losses he attributes to the project.

«As for me and my company, I’m at the end of my rope and I see no other choice than to have to tell my story,» Owen said. «This is not to embarrass anybody, but this is just to make sure that the truth gets told out here of what has happened to the companies that poured their heart and soul into getting this job complete and operational.»

He said unnecessary rework, delays and more than 100 change-order requests left his company absorbing millions of dollars in additional costs.

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The Obama Foundation, Obama’s private nonprofit organization that oversees the construction, told Fox News Digital that it paid Lakeside Alliance as the project’s construction manager and that Lakeside was responsible for hiring, managing and paying subcontractors working on the center.

The Obama Foundation also said it has no outstanding disputed charges with Lakeside Alliance — a joint venture involving multiple construction companies — and no contractural relationship with Lakeside’s subcontractors.

Lakeside Alliance said projects of this scale are inherently complex and that outstanding project matters often continue long after construction ends. The alliance said approximately 475 contractors worked on the project, generating significant opportunities for local tradespeople and businesses, and that it remains committed to working through outstanding matters to successfully close out the project.

Neither Lakeside Alliance nor the Obama Foundation directly disputed allegations from some subcontractors that they incurred losses while working on the project.

Fears of speaking out

Advocates for Black subcontractor firms say those companies have been muzzled by a non-disclosure agreement and a reluctance to speak publicly because of the prestige surrounding the project in Obama’s adopted hometown, a Democratic stronghold, as well as concerns that speaking out could jeopardize payments.

«They are scared to death about talking about it,» Omar Shareef, the president of the African American Contractors Association, told Fox News Digital outside the center on a recent Saturday. The group advocates for Black-owned construction businesses and was founded by Shareef in 1989.

«I’ve never seen this happen since I’ve been in business,» Shareef said. «The building does look nice, but the fact doesn’t matter that they’re not paying our damn contractors.»

Fox News Digital independently interviewed several contractors who described similar concerns.

Construction equipment is seen outside the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago ahead of the campus opening. (Michael Dorgan/Fox News Digital)

Shareef said several Black subcontractor owners began privately approaching him about six months ago, claiming significant losses tied directly to the project. The concerns are particularly notable, he said, because the project was publicly promoted as an opportunity for minority-owned businesses and local workers.

«The promise was that this project was going to uplift minority contractors and uplift the community,» Shareef said. «What sense is celebrating Juneteenth if our Black contractors are not getting their money?»

«Some of the people have put their mortgages up, they’re going to lose their bonding… they are going to lose their relationship with their supplier as well as their banker.»

Shareef said that being in the red not only puts them at financial risk, but it also makes it harder for them to secure future projects. Shareef said his group plans on staging a protest outside the center on Thursday at 10 a.m. CT.

«That’s a bad signal to put out the fact that seven to eight to maybe 10 of our contractors in our community are going to be eliminated from doing business because of the debt that they incurred on this particular project,» he said. «If they would have known it was a Trojan horse or a Pandora’s box, I don’t know if they would have raced as much as they did to be a part of it.»

Fox News Digital has not independently corroborated the claim that these subcontractors will be forced out of business as a result of their work on the Obama Presidential Center project.

WATCH: Black subcontractors at Obama Presidential Center still seeking payment as Juneteenth opening nears, advocate says

Local companies on the brink

One minority-owned subcontractor owner told Fox News Digital his company was up to $2.5 million in the red but declined to speak publicly, citing non-disclosure agreements and ongoing efforts to resolve disputes. The owner said the contract for the job was originally expected to last 24 months but ultimately stretched to about five years.

Fox News Digital was unable to independently verify the company’s claimed losses. Shareef said the owner told him the same story but the owner wouldn’t provide Shareef with documents due to the NDA.

The largest publicly known dispute tied to the project involved II in One Concrete, a Black-owned firm that was part of the Concrete Collective — a joint venture that also included Trice Construction and W.E. O’Neil Construction — that was responsible for major structural concrete work across the campus.

The Concrete Collective filed claims exceeding $40 million, alleging it incurred substantial additional costs while working on the Center. The dispute later became entangled with a widely publicized racial racial discrimination lawsuit that brought national attention to diversity, equity and inclusion issues surrounding the project.

McGee alleged the project’s structural engineer unfairly blamed his company for delays and cost overruns and that the criticism contributed to the rejection of Concrete Collective’s compensation claims.

Defendants denied wrongdoing and disputed the allegations, arguing that portions of the concrete work had to be repaired or replaced because of cracking and other deficiencies. The owner of II in One Concrete declined to comment for this story. The case docket reflects that the case remains pending.

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A worker tidies landscaping outside the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago ahead of the facility’s opening. (Michael Dorgan/Fox News Digital)

Court records also show that at least two minority-owned subcontractors that worked on the project later sought Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, according to documents viewed by Fox News Digital. The filings do not establish that the Obama Presidential Center caused those financial difficulties.

Glass Management Services, which supplied glass for the project, filed for Chapter 11 protection in 2024 and later told the bankruptcy court it was preparing litigation related to the Obama Presidential Center that it said could yield millions of dollars in damages. Fox News Digital is not aware that such litigation has been filed and the allegations have not been tested in court. Its owner declined to speak.

Vision Painting & Decorating Services, another subcontractor that worked on the project, also filed for Chapter 11 protection in 2024 while listing the Obama Presidential Center contract in its bankruptcy schedules. Court filings reviewed by Fox News Digital do not state whether the company viewed the project as contributing to its financial difficulties. Fox News Digital was unable to get in touch with its owner.

Another subcontractor owner who worked on the project, told Fox News Digital that the job caused significant financial strain on his company too and he described the experience as a «nightmare» and one of the most difficult projects he had encountered.

He filed a mechanic’s lien for around $145,000, documents show, which was eventually paid to him, but he said his company was still down $200,000 for the project. A mechanic’s lien is a legal tool that companies file when they say they are owed money for construction work they completed.

«Literally, I’ve been doing this for 35 years, and it was the worst-run job I’ve ever been on,» the subcontractor owner said.

A view of the Obama Presidential Center from a nearby roadway in Chicago. (Michael Dorgan/Fox News Digital)

He described repeated delays, extensive oversight and what he considered unnecessary construction requirements that forced contractors to spend additional time and money completing work.

«The stuff that they made everybody do was so over-the-top ridiculous,» the owner said.

That view was echoed by Owen, who said his company was forced to redo portions of the Center’s stormwater system at a cost of nearly $900,000, expenses he believes should have been reimbursed. Owen said the work was unnecessary and pointed to correspondence reviewed by Fox News Digital in which Chicago’s chief plumbing inspector later wrote that Adamson’s original method complied with city code requirements.

Owen also provided records showing his firm submitted more than 100 change-order requests — requests for additional compensation for work performed beyond the original scope of the project — during construction. He said the unusually high number reflected constant revisions, rework and delays.

Owen said the company has been trying to recover money it says it is owed from parties involved and has not filed a lawsuit. Fox News Digital reviewed correspondence showing that Adamson’s attorney wrote to project representatives regarding the dispute.

Meanwhile, two additional companies filed mechanics’ liens for around $400,000 and $75,000 respectively. Fox News Digital was unable to contact company officials and it is not known if the liens have been paid.

Promise vs. reality

The concerns are particularly notable because the Obama Presidential Center was built around one of the most ambitious efforts to increase participation by minority-owned businesses and workers from historically underserved communities.

The Obama Foundation committed to awarding 50% of subcontracting packages to diverse vendors — nearly double Chicago’s goals for minority- and women-owned businesses — while requiring 35% of workforce hours to come from targeted South and West Side communities. Foundation officials said the effort was intended to serve as a model for future development projects and help create a pipeline of workers and contractors for projects across Chicago.

The Obama Foundation estimated the Center would generate as many as 5,000 direct, indirect and induced jobs during and after construction.

A split image shows the Obama Presidential Center in Jackson Park on Chicago’s South Side and former President Barack Obama. Questions have been raised about the center’s endowment funding and long-term financial safeguards as the project prepares to open. (Fox News Flight Team; Angelina Katsanis-Pool/Getty Images)

To deliver the project, the foundation hired Lakeside Alliance — a consortium led by Turner Construction and four Black-owned firms: UJAMAA Construction, Powers & Sons Construction, Brown & Momen and Safeway Construction. The partnership was frequently highlighted by the Foundation as evidence of the project’s commitment to minority-owned businesses and local economic opportunity.

Beneath that alliance sat dozens of subcontractors responsible for carrying out the actual work, from plumbing and HVAC systems to painting, insulation, glass installation and concrete construction. Many of the complaints reviewed by Fox News Digital came from firms operating at that subcontractor level.

The foundation said many subcontractors used the project to grow their businesses and noted that it implemented accelerated payment schedules, advance payments and a 15-day payment cycle to help support smaller firms. The foundation also said it worked with Lakeside Alliance to identify subcontractors in need of financial assistance and, when appropriate, provide additional support.

A landmark project

Whatever the outcome of those disputes, the center itself is nearing completion and preparing to open its doors to the public.

For many Chicago residents, the project remains a source of pride and a long-awaited investment in the city’s South Side. For some of the subcontractors who helped build it, however, the approaching opening date represents a shrinking window to resolve payment disputes they say have lingered for years.

The subcontractor tension was largely absent from the excitement surrounding the center over a recent weekend, when local residents touring the campus told Fox News Digital they were impressed by the sprawling development and its 220-foot-tall granite-clad museum tower.

Many posed with a statue of the former president and first lady and stopped to read slogans displayed on the perimeter fence, including «Bring Change Home» and «A Home For Action.» Several described the project as a fitting tribute to Obama, who first rose to prominence as a community organizer before becoming the nation’s first Black president.

The Obama Presidential Center in Jackson Park on Chicago’s South Side will open this week. (Fox Flight Team)

The center sits in historic Jackson Park, one of Chicago’s most iconic public parks. The Obama Foundation secured the site through a 99-year lease with the city for a one-time fee of just $10.

Once open, the campus will serve as the headquarters of the Obama Foundation and host leadership programs, community initiatives and public events.

It will feature a branch of the Chicago Public Library, a digitized presidential library — though it will not be a traditional presidential library with physical papers — an auditorium, an indoor sports facility, a playground and expansive green outdoor spaces.

A pedestrian crosses a street near the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago ahead of the campus opening. (Michael Dorgan/Fox News Digital)

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Despite the financial losses, Owen said he still takes pride in the finished product.

«I’ve heard the criticisms of the design out here and maybe from an outsider’s perspective, it might not be your cup of tea, but I can tell you the interior of this presidential center is quite beautiful and it’s something to be proud of,» Owen said.

«And we are still proud to have been part of this job. We just wish it would have gone a different way financially.»

A fence banner featuring former President Barack Obama is displayed outside the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago. (Michael Dorgan/Fox News Digital)

El Gobierno de Estados Unidos difundió este miércoles el texto completo del acuerdo con Irán que busca poner fin a la guerra y desbloquear el estrecho de Ormuz. El memorando de entendimiento, de 14 puntos, fue leído por un importante funcionario del gobierno de Donald Trump durante una llamada con periodistas.

Irán se compromete a diluir su uranio enriquecido y Estados Unidos a patrocinar junto a países aliados un fondo de reconstrucción de 300.000 millones de dólares para Irán, según el protocolo de acuerdo que será firmado el viernes.

El gobierno iraní podrá volver a vender petróleo una vez que el memorando sea firmado, según ese texto divulgado a periodistas.

Ambos países negociarán un mecanismo para gestionar las reservas de uranio enriquecido de Irán “con la metodología para realizar la dilución in situ bajo la supervisión del OIEA (Organismo Internacional de Energía Atómica)”, afirmó un alto funcionario del gobierno, leyendo el texto.

Pero las dudas persisten.

Según la CNN, el memorando de entendimiento contiene un lenguaje “genérico” y “vago” en el que consta la reapertura de Ormuz y exenciones a las sanciones impuestas a Teherán.

Además, Irán reitera su compromiso de que “nunca fabricará armas nucleares”.

Según la CNN, el compromiso de Teherán a no hacerse con armas nucleares es similar al expresado en el anterior acuerdo, conocido como Plan de Acción Integral Conjunto (JCPOA por sus siglas en inglés), que firmó el expresidente Barack Obama, y que suspendió Trump en 2018.

Qué dice el acuerdo

El texto estipula “la terminación inmediata y permanente de las operaciones militares en todos los frentes”, incluida la ofensiva israelí en el Líbano.

Estados Unidos e Irán se comprometen a negociar un acuerdo de paz definitivo en un plazo de 60 días, prorrogable de mutuo acuerdo.

Durante este período, Irán permitirá el libre tránsito por el estrecho de Ormuz, vía clave para el comercio de petróleo, y Estados Unidos levantará en 30 días el bloqueo marítimo impuesto a los buques que salen y llegan a puertos iraníes.

Además, Washington se compromete, como parte del acuerdo final, a “levantar todo tipo de sanciones” contra la República Islámica, incluidas las resoluciones del Consejo de Seguridad de las Naciones Unidas.

Washington expedirá de inmediato licencias para permitir el comercio de petróleo iraní y se compromete a “poner a disposición los fondos y activos congelados” de Irán mediante un mecanismo que deben acordar.

Estados Unidos también elaborará con sus aliados en Oriente Medio un plan de reconstrucción de Irán de 300.000 millones de dólares y a flexibilizar sanciones para facilitarlo.

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Por su parte, Irán “reafirma que no adquirirá ni desarrollará armas nucleares” y se compromete a acordar un mecanismo con Estados Unidos para la destrucción de uranio altamente enriquecido almacenado bajo la supervisión del Organismo Internacional de Energía Atómica (OIEA).

Mientras negocian los detalles del acuerdo definitivo, Irán mantendrá vigente su programa nuclear y Estados Unidos no impondrá nuevas sanciones ni desplegará más fuerza militar en la región.

Nueva amenaza de Trump

En tanto, el presidente estadounidense, Donald Trump, negó este miércoles desde Évian (Francia) que el documento incluya un fondo de inversión de 300.000 millones de dólares para la reconstrucción de Irán o el levantamiento de sanciones.

También advirtió a Irán que el texto acordado “no es definitivo” y que él podría decidir en algún momento que “no le gusta”. Así aseguró que si Teherán “no se comporta”, volverá a “lanzar bombas justo en medio de sus cabezas”.

Trump consideró que nadie como él fue tan duro con Irán: “Esto debería haber sido hecho por Clinton y por Barack Hussein Obama. Debería haber sido hecho por Biden, por Bush. Podría haber sido hecho por mucha gente. Esto lleva pasando desde 47 años”, dijo en referencia a sus predecesores.

Leé también: Trump afirmó que el acuerdo con Irán logrará que Irán no desarrolle nunca armas nucleares

El presidente estadounidense, que participa en la cumbre G7 en Évian, insinuó que presentará él mismo en rueda de prensa el texto antes de la firma del viernes y lo leerá “palabra por palabra” para evitar malinterpretaciones.

El pasado domingo 14 de junio, fecha del cumpleaños de Trump, el mandatario estadounidense anunció un acuerdo con Irán para poner fin a la guerra iniciada por Estados Unidos e Israel el pasado 28 de febrero.

Tras meses de negociaciones y un frágil cese de hostilidades, alcanzado el 8 de abril, el actual memorando abriría la puerta a 60 días de conversaciones en torno al acuerdo nuclear para asentar una paz duradera en Oriente Medio.

La Casa Blanca todavía no confirmó oficialmente quién asistirá a la firma oficial del acuerdo, programada para este viernes en complejo turístico de Bürgenstock, una exclusiva localidad de montaña en el centro de Suiza.

(Con información de EFE)

The Israeli government on Tuesday approved designating Route 60 — the highway stretching from Nazareth in the north to Beersheba in the south and passing through some of the most significant sites in history—as the «Biblical Highway.»

The designation is part of a broader initiative to create a Route 66-style experience for Bible enthusiasts, students and tourists.

The Biblical Highway has existed for more than 4,000 years. Running along Israel’s central mountain ridge, the route begins in Beersheba, the southern desert city where Abraham is said to have established an oasis and taught travelers about belief in one God.

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David Parsons, senior vice president and spokesman for the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem, told Fox News Digital that a proper understanding of the Bible can help immunize people against what he described as the «virus» of antisemitism.

«You would better understand who the Jewish people are, the special relationship God established with them for the benefit of all mankind, and the fact that this includes a land where they could become a nation and deliver those benefits down through history,» Parsons said.

«The more you examine the archaeological record in the Land of Israel, and the more objectively you look at the evidence, the more you realize that the Bible is not a collection of fables and fairy tales, but an accurate account of a people and a land that have given the world ideas and values of universal benefit and inspiration,» he added.

The Cave of the Patriarchs, in Hebron on Feb. 23, 2020. (Hazem Bader/AFP via Getty Images)

The road continues from Beersheba to Hebron, home to the Cave of the Patriarchs, purchased by Abraham some 3,800 years ago and traditionally regarded as the resting place of the biblical patriarchs and matriarchs. The site is marked by a monumental structure built by King Herod some 2,000 years ago. Hebron was also King David’s first capital, where he was crowned king of Israel about 3,000 years ago.

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The route passes through Bethlehem, birthplace of Jesus and where Jacob buried the matriarch Rachel and which serves as the setting of the Book of Ruth, before reaching Jerusalem, the capital of modern-day Israel and home to Mount Moriah — the traditional site of the Binding of Isaac — as well as the location of the First and Second Temples.

Continuing north, the highway reaches Bet El, where Jacob, while fleeing his brother Esau, experienced the prophetic dream of a ladder connecting heaven and earth and where, 20 years later, he returned with his family and received the name Israel. It then passes through Shiloh, which served as the spiritual center of the Israelites for nearly 400 years after their entry into the Land of Israel.

Orthodox Jews pray on Mount Gerizim overlooking Joseph’s Tomb, one of their holiest sites, in the city of Schechem, also known as Nablus on May 28, 2009.  (Menahem Kahana/AFP via Getty Images)

Farther north lies Shechem, where Joshua is said to have buried the bones of Joseph, which the Israelites carried from Egypt during the Exodus. The route then reaches Mount Tabor, where the prophetess Deborah sang her song of victory, and continues to Megiddo, the site of numerous battles involving the armies of Israel and invading forces throughout biblical history, before ending in Nazareth, the hometown of Jesus.

Yishai Fleisher, international spokesman for the Jewish community of Hebron, told Fox News Digital he has been working on the project for many years.

Dec. 18, 2021 shows a general view of Israel’s northern city of Nazareth and its Catholic Basilica of the Annunciation.  (Ahmad Gharabli/AFP via Getty images)

«Finally, the government is recognizing it. We have been advocating for this idea, which is similar to other roads around the world,» he said.

«In Germany, they have the Romantische Straße, or Romantic Road. In Spain, they have the Camino de Santiago. And in the United States, there is the famous Route 66. For us, it’s Route 60, the Biblical Highway.

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«I think it has educational, heritage and tourism value,» Fleisher continued. «The government views the Bible as an important part of Israel’s identity. We’ve been teaching it, we’ve been promoting it, and they’ve embraced the idea. Ahead of the elections, I think they want to show people that they are committed to branding Israel as the land of the Bible.»

The initiative also carries significance amid what Fleisher described as efforts by the Palestinian Authority to assert claims over sites of Jewish historical and biblical heritage.

He said there have been attempts to «erase» Jewish historical and biblical narratives, including efforts to reinterpret or displace long-held traditions associated with sites such as the Western Wall, the Temple Mount, Rachel’s Tomb and the Cave of the Patriarchs.

An Israeli flag flutters on the Mount of Olives as the sun rises over Jerusalem on June 13, 2025. (Ahmad Gharabli/AFP via Getty Images)

«It makes perfect sense because if one undermines the biblical heritage of Israel and this land, they are undermining the pillars of the Jewish state and could replace it with a Palestinian one,» he continued. «When we rename Route 60 or add the name ‘Biblical Highway,’ we are strengthening that pillar of our ancient identity in this land. Certainly, people who do not want to see Israel exist seek to remove that pillar.»

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Ze’ev Orenstein, Director of International Affairs at City of David, said the initiative offers visitors an opportunity to experience biblical history through the geography where it unfolded.

«The Biblical Highway will enable millions of visitors to bring their faith, heritage, and identity to life by traveling through the very places where the Biblical story unfolded and where the values that continue to shape Western civilization were born,» he told Fox News Digital. «It is an invitation to experience the Bible not only as a book, but as a living geography, as relevant today as it was millennia ago.»

The West Bank, also known as Judea and Samaria is home to some 500,000 Israelis.  (Mahmoud Illean/AP)

Parsons noted that there is also a King’s Highway in Jordan that the Israelites traveled along, which is marked as such by the Jordanians.

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«So Israel is not doing anything different from what Jordan has done on its side. I don’t think there is anything particularly political about that; it is simply an acknowledgment of historical truth,» he said.

Israel’s Ministry of Tourism spokesperson told Fox News Digital that it supports the name change and will work to incorporate «The Biblical Highway» into Israel’s marketing and branding materials. Visitor centers, observation points and multilingual signage are expected to be included.