Amidst the divorce rumors of the former US president, where several speculations have come up, a new bunch of controversies have circled the Obamas. It seems Barrack Obama has something more to deal with besides the ongoing scrutiny of his marriage to Michelle Obama after a Chicago-based subcontractor has reportedly sued one of the firms that is overseeing the Obama Presidential Center’s construction.
Reports state that the subcontractor has filed a $40 million federal lawsuit against Thornton Tomasetti, which is a notable engineering firm and has also been handling the construction works; however, he has been accusing the company of racial discrimination along with imposing excessive work demands, and it also left the subcontractor on the verge of going bankrupt.
Robert McGee, the owner of II in One, is a renowned Black-owned firm, and its specialty includes rebar and concrete services. He has stated that the firm, Thornton Tomasetti, imposed “excessively rigorous and unnecessary inspection,” which even goes against the American Concrete Institute Standards, eventually leading to major cost overruns. According to the lawsuit, McGee has claimed that there had been some incurred extensive paperwork which impacted productivity and caused a loss of millions consecutively.
Not to mention, only a year ago, Thornton Tomasetti defended its actions where they wrote in a memo to the lawsuit, stating that the subcontractors were “questionably qualified,” and the delay taking place mostly happened due to their shortcomings.
The Obama Presidential Center is being constructed near Jackson Park in Chicago. It is said to be comprised of a planned museum, along with a community, library, and conference facilities. Besides, it will also be the root of the non-profit Obama organization, which is mainly overseeing the development of the center along with operating a scholarship program via the University of Chicago’s Harris School of Public Policy.
Obama Center subcontractor files $40M discrimination lawsuit against engineering firm for overruns https://t.co/AvZ1lgX2Ti pic.twitter.com/qv1N20zOyd
— New York Post (@nypost) February 2, 2025
Moreover, McGee has also claimed that the firm has falsely accused his organization, II in One, that it lacks sufficient experience and qualifications to perform its work. In contrast, the non-minority owned workers were sufficiently qualified. Currently, he is seeking to be paid back for roughly $40 in construction costs that the firm covered itself with a joint venture of Concrete Collective by their side.
The lawsuit further states that – “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.”
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Thornton Tomasetti, on the other hand, has denied the allegations, and they have stated in a memo that the actions of the subcontractor as an attempt from their shortcomings. The memo further reads about Thornton Tomasetti, along with an architectural firm, “bent over backward for assisting what everyone knows was a questionably qualified subcontractor team, especially in the areas where more qualified subcontractors might not have required the same.”
Though this isn’t the first time the Obama Presidential Center has faced such challenges, rather it has been on the same page since its initial announcement. The construction was originally planned to break in 2018; however was delayed until 2021, with the grand opening now planned for 2026.
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Community activists have raised concerns about the increase in housing costs along with uplifting the fact that the residents of the place will be shifted to the southern side of Chicago. Next, environmental activists are arguing that it would remove several trees, eventually affecting bird habitats. Despite multiple lawsuits, the Supreme Court declined to intervene in 2021, allowing the project to proceed.
Barrack Obama has defended the center and described that it will be a positive force for the community. Even during the 2021 groundbreaking, he dismissed these concerns, stating that the project would plant trees and create new habitats for wildlife.
Well, adding to the marriage strains and dating rumors, this new lawsuit drama seems to bring another layer of tension for the Obamas.