Obama Presidential Center subcontractors file fresh payment claims totaling nearly $900K

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Three more subcontractors that worked on theObama Presidential Centerhave 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 subcontractors claim they are owed money for structural steel, excavation and concrete, and gymnasium flooring work performed on Home Court, the Center’s 60,000-square-foot basketball and events facility.

Structural steel subcontractor Area Erectors is seeking nearly $620,000, excavation and concrete subcontractor CSI 3000 — the only Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) of the three — claims it is owed about $236,000, and gymnasium flooring specialist Floors Incorporated says it is owed nearly $25,000.

It comes as Home Court is hosting several high-profile WNBA All-Star Weekend events this week which the former president attended.

�s historic Jackson Park.The disputes add to a growing list of challenges during construction, including the project’s ballooning cost — from an initial estimate of about$350 million to more than $1 billion— and legal challenges over contracting practices and diversity requirements.

Split image showing the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago and a construction worker on the project.

The Obama Presidential Center in Chicago, left, and a construction worker on the project, right.�s Home Court facility.(Bloomberg/Getty Images;

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Home Court construction

The Home Court is located at the southern end of the campus and features a regulation-sizeNBA basketball court, training space and multipurpose meeting and event rooms.The basketball court is decorated with phrases associated with former President Barack Obama, including “Yes we can” and “No one does big things alone.”

TheObama Foundation, Obama’s private nonprofit organization, oversees construction of the Obama Presidential Center.It hired Lakeside Alliance as the primary construction manager for most of the campus.

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.

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.

The newly identified liens were recorded around the time of theObama Presidential Center’s June 19 opening.The Cook County Clerk�

Elevate and the Obama Foundation did not respond to a request for comment, nor did the three subcontractors.

Former President Barack Obama speaks to WNBA All-Stars during practice at Home Court at the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago.

Former President Barack Obama surprises WNBA All-Stars during practice ahead of the 2026 WNBA All-Star Weekend at Home Court, the athletic and events facility at the Obama Presidential Center, in Chicago on July 24, 2026.(David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images)

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Three more liens identified

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’s contracting chain.

For instance, O’Leary’s Contractors Equipment &Supply is seeking about $184,000 in allegedly unpaid equipment rental invoices.The Cement Masons’ 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.

�the project did not go as well as we anticipated in terms of the timeliness of the payment.”

The additional liens involve portions of the project managed by Lakeside Alliance.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’s opening.The joint venture said it remains committed to working through outstanding matters.

Home Court athletic facility at the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago.

The Home Court athletic facility is seen at the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago on June 19, 2026.The facility is designed for youth sports, mentoring programs and community events.

Previous payment disputes

com/category/politics/finance/investigations" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">alleged they were owed millionsof dollars for work on the project, while Concrete Collective filed a mechanics lien seeking more than $40 million.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.

onelink.me/xLDS?pid=AppArticleLink&af_web_dp=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.

com/politics/obama-presidential-centers-470m-safety-net-scrutiny-subcontractors-say-theyre-owed-millions" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">previously reportedthat at least four other companies filed mechanics liens during construction, while two subcontractors — Glass Management Services and Vision Painting &Decorating Services — later sought Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.Court records do not establish that the Obama Presidential Center caused those bankruptcies.

One previously reported lien remains unresolved.

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