Obama Center Subcontractors Claim $4 Million Unpaid as Opening Nears

3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jun 17

Nearly $4 million is still owed to Adamson Plumbing, its owner said, as subcontractors warn the Obama Presidential Center's Friday opening could arrive before years-old payment disputes are resolved.
More than 100 change-order requests, repeated redesigns, rework and delays stretched some contracts from an expected 24 months to about five years, according to contractors who said the overruns drained reserves and threatened layoffs.
Lakeside Alliance said projects of this scale often have outstanding matters after construction ends and that it is working through closeout issues; the Obama Foundation said it paid Lakeside and has no direct contracts with subcontractors.
Claims extend beyond one firm: one minority-owned contractor said it was $2.5 million in the red, the Concrete Collective sought more than $40 million, and two project subcontractors later filed Chapter 11 protection.
The dispute undercuts a flagship promise of the $830 million project—likely now above $1 billion—to steer 50% of subcontracts to diverse vendors, with Black contractors planning a protest before the Juneteenth-week opening.